Indiana arrived in Piscataway on Friday night off the back of a four-game losing streak and an eight-year winning drought on the road against Rutgers. The Indiana Hoosiers lit up the scoreboard with a flurry of 3-pointers and an offensive rhythm. The Hoosiers routed Rutgers 82-59, securing their first away victory over the Scarlet Knights since February 2018.
It was a dominant offensive display that saw Indiana (13-7,4-5 Big Ten) find some momentum before the bulk of the Big Ten slate.
The story of the night was the offensive efficiency of Indiana’s three shot-makers, Lamar Wilkerson, Tucker DeVries and Nick Dorn. The trio combined for 72 of Indiana's 82, outscoring the Scarlet Knights by 13 points on their own.
The team's leading scorer, Wilkerson, led the Hoosiers with 27 points. Dorn broke into the starting lineup and added an offensive spark that Darian DeVries and the Hoosiers needed.
Dorn replaced injured guard Tayton Conerway and added six 3-pointers and 23 points for the Hoosiers.
Finally, Tucker DeVries logged 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. DeVries has struggled to find a rhythm as of late, but this marks his third double-double of the year.
The Hoosiers never trailed in New Jersey. They jumped out to an early 5-0 lead and never looked back. The Hoosiers' offense was shooting lights out in the first half, where the Hoosiers combined for just north of 50% from the field and connected on 83-point shots to take a 15-point halftime lead.
Rutgers (9-11,2-7 Big Ten) struggled to find an answer offensively to keep up with the Hoosiers. The Scarlet Knights' starters failed to make a field goal for the first 12 minutes of the game. Tariq Francis was a lone bright spot for the Scarlet Knights as he finished with 28 points on the evening.
This was one of the more well-coached wins of the first year of the Darian DeVries era in Bloomington. The Indiana Hoosiers committed a season-low five turnovers and continue to work on offensive consistency.
This victory is a get-right game for a team that has had a difficult run in January. After the conclusion of the Indiana football season, all eyes will be in Bloomington on Tuesday night in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, where Indiana will host No. 4 Purdue. Time will tell how the Hoosiers stack up against Matt Painter's Purdue Boilermakers in the first rivalry game under Darian DeVries.
