For the first 20 minutes of Saturday’s matchup against Chicago State, Indiana looked like the best offensive team in the country.
The Hoosiers made 14 3-pointers in the first half, which continues a trend under new head coach Darian DeVries. DeVries has ushered in a massive shift in offensive identity, with an emphasis on shooting the 3-pointer — a statistic that the Hoosiers have been in the bottom 50 nationally over the past four seasons. The second half saw the Hoosiers go ice-cold from the field, as they managed to make only one 3-pointer on 20 attempts. Despite the massive second-half drought, Indiana leaned on its halftime cushion to secure a 78-58 victory at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
The afternoon began with a ceremony celebrating Lamar Wilkerson for his record-breaking 44-point performance against Penn State on Dec. 9. It didn’t take long for Wilkerson to start the game right where he left off in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Wilkerson began the game, "in the zone," DeVries said, finishing with a team-high 21 points.
Wilkerson started 4-for-5 from beyond the 3-point line and had everyone believing another stellar shooting night could go his way.
"I was thinking we’re going to have to get another ball ready if this keeps going," DeVries joked postgame.
The Hoosiers finished the game with 15 total 3s on 46 attempts, setting a new program record for attempts.
"We just take them when we’re open," forward Reed Bailey said of the volume. "Take them when you’re open, shoot them with confidence, and they’re going to go in. That first half, you see what we’re capable of."
The Hoosiers went into the half with a 23-point lead, hitting 14 3-pointers and shooting the 3 at a 54% rate.
After the intermission, the Hoosiers cooled off. Indiana missed 19 of its 20 attempts from deep and failed to score a single field goal in the final 3:29 of the game. DeVries was insistent that he thought the Hoosiers continued to take high-quality shots; however, the confidence and rhythm weren’t there in the second half.
"I thought that second half, you could definitely feel it go in another way for us," DeVries said. "They weren't shooting it with the same swagger that they're accustomed to.”
When the shots from deep weren’t finding the bottom of the net, DeVries put faith in Bailey, who was a strong force in the paint. Bailey finished the game with 17 points and eight rebounds, all while adding zero personal fouls.
Furthermore, Nick Dorn continued to play a significant role off the bench. Dorn, who started the year on the sidelines following an offseason foot surgery, has been slowly working his way back on the court, and in his 10th game Saturday, Dorn recorded 19 minutes of steady play. Dorn hit multiple 3s for the fourth time in six games and credited the team chemistry for keeping morale high during the cold spell.
"We’ve seen each other make it a thousand times in practice," Dorn said. "We just have unwavering faith in each other."
While the slow second-half performance leaves some room for critique, the Hoosiers move to 9-3 on the year. Indiana has a quick turnaround, facing Siena on Monday before taking a break until 2026.
