The Indiana men’s basketball team is off to a 4-0 start, but Sunday night’s win looked nothing like their earlier offensive explosions. In a grind-it-out matchup, the Hoosiers beat Incarnate Word 69-61 in what became the lowest scoring game of the season for both teams. Indiana had not scored fewer than 98 points in any of its first three games, and the Cardinals entered the night averaging over 90. This time, shots that normally fall didn’t, and the offense never found its rhythm. Their defense, however, is what kept them upright.
“There is plenty to look at as to why it happened, but the reality is you’re going to have off shooting nights. It’s just going to happen, [and] tonight was one of them,” head coach Darian DeVries said after the game. “That’s where you got to really rely on your defense and rebounding and taking care of the ball. I just thought the first half the reason our lead built up even though we weren’t shooting it well was our defense was really good. Held them to 20 percent from the field.”
Indiana’s first half set the tone. The Hoosiers locked in defensively, pushing Incarnate Word into rushed looks, contested jumpers, and long stretches without clean touches. By halftime, IU led 35-19 and had forced the Cardinals into a 6-for-29 showing from the field. The Hoosiers also dominated the glass with 25 rebounds, using size and positioning to erase second-chance opportunities.
That defensive control slipped in the second half, and Incarnate Word took advantage. Breakdowns on closeouts, slower rotations, and miscommunications cracked the door open, allowing the Cardinals to shoot 54% after halftime and climb back into the game.
“The second half you see an 18-point lead evaporate because they shoot 54 percent,” Coach DeVries said. “So that’s the learning opportunity. It’s a 40-minute game. That’s something that we’ll certainly take advantage of.”
Indiana’s struggles in the second half were hard to miss. The Hoosiers were outscored 42–34, and Incarnate Word finally found a rhythm that shifted the momentum in their favor. Indiana never looked as comfortable as they had in previous games, and it showed in the way they moved the ball. A team that typically thrives on crisp passing and creating open looks finished with only 18 assists, the first time all season they failed to reach the 20-assist mark.
When an offense stalls, it often bleeds into the defensive end, and that played out on Sunday. The Cardinals began getting cleaner looks, the type of shots Indiana had taken away for most of the night. On top of that, Incarnate Word started knocking down tough, contested attempts that the Hoosiers were betting they would miss. Those makes tightened the score and added pressure that should never have been there.
“Credit to them. They hit some tough shots,” senior forward Tucker DeVries said after the game. “At the end of the day it’s just finding a way to win once you get into those situations. I thought it was good for us to still pull out in the right way.”
Even with their second half struggles, Indiana still found a way to finish the job. At times the play was sloppy, but the strong defensive foundation they built early and their willingness to stay active on that end of the floor kept them unbeaten. The Hoosiers’ defense held firm when it mattered most, and their effort on the glass was a major separator. Indiana outrebounded the Cardinals 42 to 29, with Trent Sisley and Sam Alexis leading the way with eight boards each.
Senior guard Tayton Conerway didn’t replicate the scoring burst he showed against Milwaukee, but he made his presence felt in other areas. He crashed the boards for six rebounds, handed out seven assists, blocked three shots, and chipped in nine points while anchoring the perimeter defense. Fellow senior guard Conor Enright brought physicality every time he stepped on the floor. His six rebounds and five assists were critical in keeping possessions alive and maintaining structure in a game that threatened to unravel. Indiana closed the night with four steals and four blocks, a testament to their defensive activity even as their offense lagged.
The performance may not have matched what fans expected, but the Hoosiers walked away with the win and another chance to grow. There will be plenty for Coach Darian DeVries and his staff to address as they work to return the team to the sharp, high-energy form shown in the first three games. Indiana will be back at Assembly Hall on Thursday, Nov. 20, to take on the Lindenwood Lions. Tipoff is set for 6 PM, and the game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network for those who can’t attend.