Indiana's Tamar Bates Scores 17, Daughter Leilani Wins Halftime Baby Race

It was a big day for the Bates family, with sophomore guard Tamar scoring 17 points and his daughter Leilani winning the halftime baby race.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – With 3-point sharpshooting and crawling proficiency, it was a day to remember for the Bates family. 

Sophomore guard Tamar Bates scored 17 points off the bench as Indiana defeated Michigan State 82-69 on Sunday. When the Spartans dug down on Trayce Jackson-Davis on the block, Bates made them pay by draining 5-of-6 attempts from 3-point range. 

With the Hoosiers clinging to a five-point lead at halftime, it was time for Tamar's daughter Leilani to shine. A row of babies lined up on a black and white checkered mat on Branch McCracken court with the goal of crawling across the hardwood to the finish line. 

The race did not start in Leilani's favor, but she persevered to pull out the victory. Her dad was proud.

"The come back win," Tamar said. "And really because [Leilani] was ready to get picked up. I seen she was crying the whole time but we'll take it, first competition ever. She's undefeated."

So proud of Leilani for bringing home the title! 😂🏆❤️ pic.twitter.com/hTUhxQf1JS

— Tamar Bates (@tbates_11) January 22, 2023

No doubt about it, Tamar Bates will be telling his daughter, Leilani, about their big day sometime in the future. 🥰 pic.twitter.com/ugs8yUYUsg

— Indiana On BTN (@IndianaOnBTN) January 22, 2023

Dad is hot from downtown. 🔥
Daughter wins the halftime baby race. 👶

It's a good day for @IndianaMBB's Tamar Bates (@tbates_11). pic.twitter.com/g3Hixl2BNf

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 22, 2023

Sunday's win marks three straight for the Hoosiers, who move to 13-6 overall and 4-4 in Big Ten play. 

Next up for Indiana is a road trip to Minnesota on Wednesday for a 9 p.m. ET tipoff at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minn. The Golden Gophers are last in the Big Ten standings with a 7-11 overall record and a 1-y mark in Big Ten play following at 60-56 loss at Michigan on Sunday.

Indiana sophomore guard Tamar Bates answers questions at the postgame press conference with his daughter Leilani, who won the halftime baby race on Sunday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind

Related stories on Indiana basketball

• INDIANA BEATS MICHIGAN STATE (Game story): Michigan State couldn't figure out a way to guard Indiana on Sunday, and it led to another convincing victory for the Hoosiers, this time 82-69 for their third straight win. Trayce Jackson-Davis had 31 points and 15 rebounds, and Tamar Bates and Trey Galloway each added 17. It's their longest Big Ten winning streak in four years. CLICK HERE
• WHAT WOODSON SAID: Indiana won its third straight game by double digits on Sunday, beating Michigan State 82-69. Coach Mike Woodson was thrilled with the win, which he called a total team effort. Here is the full video of his postgame press conference, plus the transcript. CLICK HERE
• WATCH KOPP'S DUNK: Miller Kopp beat the Michigan State defense to the basket for an easy dunk, leading to roars from the Assembly Hall crowd. CLICK HERE
• WATCH TREY GALLOWAY'S 3-POINTER: Indiana junior guard Trey Galloway had the hot hand early on, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers to give the Hoosiers the lead. CLICK HERE
• WATCH JACKSON-DAVIS DUNK ON HAUSER: Indiana star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis caught a pass in transition and dunked all over Michigan State's Joey Hauser. CLICK HERE
• THOMPSON RETURNS AGAINST MICHIGAN STATE: Indiana sixth-year forward Race Thompson has been out since suffering a knee injury on Jan. 5 at Iowa, but he returned to action on Sunday against Michigan State. CLICK HERE