3 Key Stats That Defined Indiana's Thrilling Exhibition Win Over Baylor

Indiana blew past Marian and took care of business in its first exhibition matchup of the 2025-2026 season, but then things ramped up in a massive way on Sunday against Baylor. The preseason No. 7 team in the Big 12, the Bears are a tough high-major club with the well-respected Scott Drew at the helm.

In the first true test of the Darian DeVries era, the Hoosiers climbed out of a first half hole, leading nearly all of the second half, and showing their resiliency in a nail-biting two-point victory over the Bears. Behind an and-one from guard Tayton Conerway, Indiana escaped with a 76-74 win over Baylor. Here are three key stats that tell the story of the contest.

Key stats that explain Indiana’s win over Baylor

The turnover margin in Indiana’s favor: +7

Baylor – which is led by a renowned defensive guru in Drew – managed to force Indiana into just nine turnovers all afternoon. A testament to Indiana’s ball-protective guards in Conor Enright, Lamar Wilkerson and Conerway, the Hoosiers clearly won’t have any trouble taking care of the rock during the season.

On the flip side, Indiana’s active hands were on full display en route to eight steals and 16 total turnovers forced. To survive on defense and close the gap created by the Hoosiers’ lack of one-on-one defenders and size, they must turn opponents over at a high-clip throughout the year. Fortunately, if Sunday was any sign, that shouldn’t be a problem.

The Hoosiers’ team assists: 18

A free flowing offense combined with a roster filled to the brim with talented and willing passers, and the end result, unsurprisingly, is beautiful basketball. With 18 assists on 25 made field goals, Indiana made it abundantly clear that it’s a pass-first team that has players willing to pass up a good shot of their own to give their teammate a great shot.

+3️⃣ for the Hoosiers.

Subscribe/watch on B1G+ https://t.co/e7te829xWu pic.twitter.com/X8icsHlbvJ
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) October 26, 2025

Indiana’s free-throw percentage: 95.2 percent

The Hoosiers hit just six triples against the Bears, and shot only 25.0 percent from deep in the outing (6-for-24). But, there is no reason for Indiana fans to fret. Some days, the shots simply don’t fall. Indiana’s 20-for-21 (95.2 percent) showing from the charity stripe serves as a welcome reminder of this team’s shooting ability.

Longggg three-ball for 3️⃣.@kiddlamar_ | #IUBB

Subscribe/watch on B1G+ https://t.co/e7te829xWu pic.twitter.com/FBQhStUEnN
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) October 26, 2025

And, even more tellingly for the future, Indiana consistently created wide-open looks from beyond the arc. There’s no doubt about it: the Hoosiers have the shooters. If they can continue to manufacture the looks they did on Sunday, the shots will certainly fall.