Indiana had to weather a messy first half before pulling away from Tennessee Tech for a 90-66 win Thursday night.
The Hoosiers opened fast, using three straight layups from Samet Yigitoglu to jump ahead 6-0. His size was an obvious problem for the Golden Eagles early, but that edge disappeared when Yigitoglu took an inadvertant shot to the face, drew blood and left the floor. Indiana stalled from there, going more than three minutes without a point as Tennessee Tech chipped away and turned the game into a one-score battle.
That pattern held for much of the opening 20 minutes. Tennessee Tech, one of the smallest teams in the country, kept battling through Indiana’s full-court press and even moved in front twice.
Indiana managed to regain control at different points, but never in a way that made the first half feel settled. When the break finally arrived, the Hoosiers were up only four.
The second half brought a different feel, and Markus Burton and Darren Harris were a big reason why. Both had been held scoreless before halftime after leading Indiana in the win over Syracuse, but they came alive after the break and finished with a combined 16 points and nine assists.
Indiana’s defense also sharpened after halftime, holding Tennessee Tech to 29 points after allowing 37 in the first half. The Hoosiers also cleaned up the rebounding battle, flipping a 21-18 halftime deficit into a 41-35 edge by the end.
By the time it was over, Indiana had six players in double figures, enough balance to turn a shaky opening stretch into a comfortable finish.
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