3 Instant Takeaways from Indiana Basketball's 69-61 Win vs Incarnate Word

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The only thing standing between Indiana men's basketball sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway and a rim-rocking transition dunk was the orange Adidas basketball he intended to flush through the white nylon.

Conerway's dunk attempt proved unsuccessful, as the ball rolled around the rim before it was knocked to the perimeter. Standing deep on the left wing, fifth-year senior forward Tucker DeVries launched a 3-pointer, one that bounced off the rim and into the hands of Incarnate Word senior guard Davion Bailey.

Indiana's lead stood at 31-17 with less than three minutes remaining in the first half, but the same offensive flare it flashed in the first three games wasn't present. With six minutes left in the second half, neither was the Hoosiers' double-digit lead.

Incarnate Word trimmed its deficit to 64-59 with one minute remaining, but the Hoosiers (4-0) survived a late push by the Cardinals (2-2) to secure a 69-61 win Sunday evening at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

But Indiana's offense, which has so quickly become known for its energy, shooting and ball movement, appeared mortal for the first time this season.

Here are three takeaways from Indiana's win over Incarnate Word.

Hoosiers have worst shooting day of regular season

Indiana's high-flying offense, which entered Sunday averaging 99.7 points through its first three games, faced a new challenge for the first time this season: Incarnate Word threw a 1-3-1 zone at the Hoosiers.

The Cardinals mixed in man-to-man defense as well, but their 1-3-1 zone forced Indiana into uncharted waters. The Hoosiers committed a few turnovers but largely handled the zone well. Conerway was an integral part of beating it, flashing to the middle and finding success as both a driver and distributor.

Variety of looks aside, Indiana's offense struggled. The Hoosiers, who shot 47.5% from 3-point range in the first three games, went only 5-for-24 shooting from beyond the arc Sunday evening. They were 43.4% from the field, a notable decline from their 56% season average.

Alexis, Sisley lead bench charge while starters struggle

It took until the 3:05 mark of the second half for any of Indiana's five starters — Conerway, DeVries, sixth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson, senior guard Conor Enright and senior forward Sam Alexis — to reach double figures in scoring.

But while the Hoosiers' starters struggled, a pair of forwards in senior Sam Alexis and freshman Trent Sisley led scoring efforts off the bench, especially in the first half.

Alexis tallied 16 points on 5-for-7 shooting while grabbing eight rebounds. Sisley notched 10 points while making 4 of 7 attempts, including two triples, and pulling down eight rebounds. Neither made an immense impact in the second half, as Alexis scored 3 points and Sisley added a 3-pointer.

DeVries scored 14 points, Conerway and Wilkerson posted 9 points apiece and Bailey added 7 points.

Indiana stout defensively in first half, falters in second half

Indiana's defense suffocated Incarnate Ward in the first half, as the Cardinals scored only 19 points and shot just 6 of 29 from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.

The momentum didn't translate, as Incarnate Word surpassed its entire first-half point total at the 8:35 mark in the second half. The Cardinals started 11-of-22 shooting, and 5 of 9 from distance, out of the break.

Incarnate Word shot 54.8% from the field in the second half and responded with buckets time and again down the stretch. Seemingly each time Indiana padded its lead, the Cardinals answered to keep the Hoosiers within reach.

And after its best defensive half of the season to open Sunday night, Indiana played its worst in the latter half.