The Hoosiers Give the Dolphins a Beatdown in Bloomington

Despite yet another Indiana slow start, one that saw the Hoosiers trailing the visiting Jacksonville Dolphins 14-9 after nearly six minutes of action, Indiana rallied to an easy 94-64 victory to conclude the non-conference portion of their schedule. The Hoosiers were led by senior big man Juwan Morgan, who entered the Indiana record books after becoming just the second player in program history to record a triple-double. Morgan led Indiana with 10 rebounds and 10 assists, along with 10 points and set the tone for the game early on after Archie Miller implored his senior leader to help get the team off to a fast start.

Despite Morgan’s impressive statistics, this was a balanced attack for Indiana that saw all five starters get into double-figures, with sophomore wing Al Durham leading the way with 18 points. Romeo Langford also chipped in 15 with Devonte Green and Justin Smith each adding 13 apiece. The Hoosiers offense was rolling from the opening tip, finishing with a blistering 1.26 points per possession on the night, their third highest mark of the season. Indiana was also able to assist on 21 of their 35 made field goals, signifying a team that was willing to share the ball.

Coach Miller again found time for plenty of young players to work their way into the rotation with Damezi Anderson, Clifton Moore, and Jake Forrester all getting minutes throughout the game. Anderson had his best game as a Hoosier, hitting 3-of-5 from behind the arc along while grabbing 4 rebounds. Forrester in-particular continues to make the most of his minutes and showed impressive touch around the basket and was able to finish the game with 7 points in just six minutes of action. Coach Miller has preached that he wants all three players to be prepared to be forced into the rotation, whether it be due to injury or foul trouble and he must be pleased with the play from the trio of players, albeit in limited minutes.

The Hoosiers have now finished the non-conference portion of their schedule at 11-2, including an impressive 9-0 start at home. The team will now get 12 days off before their next game, a visit from Illinois on January 3^rd, and will look to try get healthier during the break. Indiana finished the game with four players unavailable due to injury, and Miller hopes the extended break will provide some respite to the injury issues that have plagued the team all-season long. Nevertheless, Indiana was able to take care of business and will look to continue their six-game winning streak as they re-enter Big Ten Play.