BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — In a dynamic matchup on Thursday night, Myles Rice shone brightly for Indiana, contributing 19 points, while Oumar Ballo delivered an impressive performance with 17 points and 12 rebounds. The Hoosiers secured an 84-74 victory over Rutgers.

Joining the effort, Mackenzie Mgbako scored 16 points, Trey Galloway added 11, and Luke Goode chipped in with 9, each making three shots from beyond the arc out of Indiana’s total of 12 three-pointers.

With this victory, Indiana improved its record to 11-3 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten, having now won seven of their last eight games. Rutgers, on the other hand, holds an 8-6 record with a 1-2 mark in the conference, having previously enjoyed dominance in this series, winning nine of their last 11 matchups.

For Rutgers, freshman Ace Bailey had an outstanding night, scoring a personal-best 39 points on 16 out of 29 attempts while also grabbing eight rebounds. He was key for the Scarlet Knights, contributing four of their six three-pointers and blocking four shots throughout the game.

Notably absent for Rutgers was freshman Dylan Harper, sidelined due to illness. Harper recently made headlines by recording the program’s first triple-double since 1983, with 16 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds during a recent victory over Columbia.

Indiana made a significant impact at the end of the first half, executing a 17-5 run that put them ahead 41-34 as they headed into the break. Despite Rutgers shooting 50% (14 of 28) from the field compared to Indiana’s 38% (16 of 42), the Hoosiers found success from long distance, going 7 of 15.

The second half commenced with Indiana surging ahead with a 15-4 streak, ballooning their lead to 56-38. However, Rutgers rallied with a series of consecutive three-pointers from Bailey that capped a 14-2 run, narrowing the gap to 58-52 with just over nine minutes left. Goode’s response with another three-pointer helped Indiana maintain a comfortable lead for most of the remainder of the game.

Looking ahead, Indiana is set to take on Penn State this coming Sunday. Meanwhile, Rutgers will kick off a three-game home stretch against Wisconsin, followed by encounters with ranked opponents Purdue and UCLA.