Greensboro Tuckers Out 

Greensboro Tuckers Out 

By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports

    The 13th Excel H Sports Ranked Indiana Hoosiers are 4-0 on the season after a 69-58 win over the UNC Greensboro Spartans Thursday Night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers wrap up a four game homestand will travel to the Bahamas to face the Louisville Cardinals next Wednesday at Noon the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in Nassau. The Hoosiers never trailed as the Spartans tied the game 40-40 with 15:57 left in the game when Malik Henry completed a three-point play hitting the free throw. Bryson Tucker made a layup with 15:08 left to make it 42-40 as the Hoosiers held the lead the rest of the way.

Myles Rice led the Hoosiers with 20 points and Freshman Bryson Tucker was the spark off the bench for IU adding 14 points. “He came in and shined. He’s a guy that can help us, and I leaned on him tonight” Indiana Head Coach Mike Wodson on Freshman Bryson Tucker. The Hoosiers finished 25-60 from the field for 41%, 5-19 from three-point range for 26% and 14-16 from the free throw line for 87%. Indiana pulled down 43 rebounds as Oumar Ballo had 11 and Malik Reneau had 10. Indiana dished out 16 assists, 7 steals, 2 blocks, 24 points in the paint, 19 bench points and committed 14 turnovers. Malik Reneau, Oumar Ballo and Mackenize Mgbako all scored 9 points apiece.

Ron Polite III led the Spartans with 17 points and Donovan Atwell added 10 points. The Spartans finished 20-63 from the field for 31%, 9-32 from three-point range for 28% and 9-15 from the free throw line for 60%. The Spartans pulled down 38 rebounds, dished out 14 assists, 10 steals, 5 blocks, 22 points in the paint, 18 bench points and committed 14 turnovers.

Indiana started the game on a 7-0 run and after Kenyon Giles hit a three to get the Spartans on the board with 17:32 left in the first half. Indiana went on a 10-0 to make it 17-3 with 13:42 left in the first half. The Hoosiers led 21-5 with 11:07 left and then UNC Greensboro fought back and outscored the Hoosiers 22-15 as Indiana went into the locker room leading 36-27 at halftime as Myles Rice led the Hoosiers with 14 points at the half.

UNC Greensboro outscored the Hoosiers 10-4 leading up to game being tied 40-40 with 15:57 left in the game. Indiana outscored the Spartans 29-18 the rest of the way and the Hoosiers outscored the Spartans 33-31 in the second half. UNC Greensboro is 2-2 on the season but they held their own against an Indiana team that had a size advantage and Coach Mike Woodson was not happy with his team performance.  “This game was just backwards. We’ll watch the film tomorrow and break it down. And then we’re going to have a tough practice tomorrow ” Head Coach Mike Woodson said after the game. Woodson did praise UNC Greensboro for the way they played tonight and battled the Hoosiers for 40 Minutes. “I gotta give this Greensboro team credit. They played harder than us, and that’s not acceptable.”

The Hoosiers will play three games in three days in the Bahamas and if they are going to have a good showing they have to rebound the ball, take care of the ball and not take plays off along with playing a complete game. Mike Woodson did not like the fact his team had 16 assists and thinks they should have 25 to 30 assists per game. “We had 16 assists tonight, that’s awful, the way we played tonight was selfish as hell.” Woodson Said. Indiana will have to prepare for its first trip away from Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall against three tough teams in three days.