For the final time in 2025-26, Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall welcomed Indiana basketball fans, as the Hoosiers took on Minnesota on Wednesday. In a rematch of the first conference game for both teams, a Minnesota 73-64 victory on Dec. 3 at Williams Arena.
Six Hoosiers celebrated Senior Night: Lamar Wilkerson, Tucker DeVries, Conor Enright, Sam Alexis, Tayton Conerway and Reed Bailey, took Branch McCracken Court for the final time. It was a night to remember as Indiana defeated Minnesota 77-47 ending a four-game losing streak.
“I thought the guys had a complete 40 minutes tonight,” head coach Darian DeVries said. “A good performance and happy for our seniors to go out the way they did tonight.”
In addition to the monster 23-point night for Alexis, Tucker DeVries had another good night with 13 points and Wilkerson had 16.
The Golden Gophers, incredibly depleted in relation to the first contest, only went six deep and lacked size. The Gophers have been without second leading scorer, 6-foot-8 forward Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, who most recently played on Feb 8.
The key for both teams would be to win with the 3-pointer. Indiana got off to a hot start from deep, making three of its first five. The Gophers started 0-for-4. Indiana started nicely from the field, 7-for-10 causing a Niko Medved timeout at 12:22 for the first half. Indiana looked like it could own the paint early, as Alexis had nine of IU’s first 18.
Minnesota would hit its first at 10:57 from Cade Tyson and its second at 10:10 from Bobby Durkin, with Alexis on the bench (had zero fouls at the time), Minnesota showed life with a 10-2 run and cut the Indiana lead to three at 22-19. Unsurprisingly, Alexis ended that run with two lay-ins, Indiana led 26-19. Indiana would finish the half on a 17-8 run. Alexis totalled 17 in the first half.
The Cream and Crimson took care of the ball, had just three turnovers and had 12 assists on its 18 first-half field goals.
The second half was smooth sailing for IU, and Minnesota couldn’t keep up. Indiana outscored Minnesota 34-19 in the second, and Indiana played clean and the few mistakes they made didn’t cost them due to the blowout. Indiana out rebounded Minnesota 37-24 and owned the paint with 40 points in that area.
Eclipsing 101 3-pointers Wilkerson is only the second Hoosier ever to have 100+ 3-pointers in a season. The lone former Hoosier to do so, Steve Alford, did it in 1986-87.
Now, Indiana looks to beat Ohio State on Saturday. If they don’t, the Hoosiers are unlikely to make the NCAA Tournament, unless they win the Big Ten Tournament. Bracketologists have Indiana scattered all over the bubble, some on, some teetering on and some coasting far away.
The matchup against Ohio State will tip-off Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Schottenstein Center.
