In Bloomington, Indiana, Myles Rice had a standout performance, scoring 21 points, while Oumar Ballo contributed 17 points and secured 12 rebounds, leading the Indiana Hoosiers to a comfortable 84-74 win against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Thursday evening.
Alongside Rice and Ballo, Mackenzie Mgbako scored 16 points, with Trey Galloway and Luke Goode chipping in 11 and 9 points respectively. The Hoosiers showcased their long-range shooting capabilities, making three shots each from beyond the arc, totaling 12 for the game.
With this victory, Indiana improved to 11 wins and 3 losses overall, and 2-1 in the Big Ten Conference, marking a strong streak of seven wins in their last eight games. Conversely, Rutgers holds an 8-6 record and is 1-2 in the conference. They entered this matchup boasting a favorable track record against Indiana, having won nine of their last eleven meetings.
Rutgers’ Ace Bailey emerged as the top scorer for his team, racking up a career-high 39 points on an impressive 16-of-29 shooting performance. In addition to his scoring, he pulled down eight rebounds, netted four of the team’s six three-pointers, and swatted away four shots.
Notably absent from the Rutgers lineup was freshman sensation Dylan Harper, who missed the game due to illness. Harper had recently made headlines by registering the program’s first triple-double since 1983 with 16 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds in a convincing 91-64 victory over Columbia earlier in the week.
As the first half concluded, Indiana surged ahead with a 17-5 run, establishing a 41-34 advantage at the break. Despite Rutgers shooting 50% (14 of 28) from the field in the first half compared to Indiana’s 38% (16 of 42), the Hoosiers capitalized on their three-point opportunities, going 7 of 15 from long range.
In the second half, Indiana opened strong, building a 15-4 run to extend their lead to 56-38. However, Bailey answered back for Rutgers with a pair of consecutive three-pointers, igniting a 14-2 run that brought Rutgers within 58-52 with just over nine minutes remaining. Goode swiftly countered with a three-pointer, allowing Indiana to maintain a double-digit cushion for the majority of the final period.
Looking ahead, Indiana will travel to face Penn State on Sunday, while Rutgers will kick off a three-game homestand starting with a matchup against Wisconsin, followed by games against ranked opponents Purdue and UCLA.
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Note: This article has been amended to clarify that Myles Rice scored a total of 21 points, not 19.
