LIVE BLOG: Follow Indiana's Game at Xavier in Real Time on Friday Night

Indiana hits the road for the first time this season with a tough matchup at Xavier in the final night of the Gavitt Tipoff Game. Here's our live blog straight from press row, with news and views from the game in real time, plus highlights and opinions.

Tom Brew | Nov 18, 2022

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Indiana Hoosiers

CINCINNATI, Ohio — The first of several huge road tests is here for Indiana's No. 12-ranked basketball team when they take on Xavier on Friday night in the Gavitt Tipoff Games. Both teams are unbeaten and looking forward to big seasons.

Welcome to our live blog, where we'll keep you updated on all the news and views from the game live from press row here at the Cintas Center. We'll toss in some highlights and opinion as well.

The latest items are at the top, so just keep refreshing for all the latest news. Enjoy the game!

8:08 p.m. — Jalen Hood-Schifino misses a 15-footer with the shot clock running down. It's Xavier's ball. They call timeout with 1:13 to go. Indiana leads 80-76,

8:05 p.m. — Xavier Johnson makes a bad pass and Xavier scores on the other end to make it 78-75. Musketeers are pressing, and Colby Jones fouls Miller Kopp. It's his fifth foul with 1:50 to go. Kopp makes both free throws, and it's 80-75.

8:01 p.m. — Miller Kopp, who's had a horrible shooting night, hits a huge three from the left corner to put Indiana ahead 78-70. It's his first three of the night, and he's just 2-for-8 from the field. But that was clutch.

7:56 p.m. — Final media timeout at 3:56 and Indiana has its biggest lead of the game, 73-66. Time to close it out now. It was a massive problem on the road last year. But, yes, this is a new year.

7:50 p.m. — Colby Jones picks up his fourth foul for Xavier — Zack Freemantle and Souley Boum also have four — and Xavier Johnson makes both free throws. Indiana gets a steal and Johnson scores on an uncontested layup against Boum. Indiana leads 71-66 with 5:06 to go.

7:43 p.m. — Big offensive rebound for Trayce Jackson-Davis, and he scores again inside to tie the game at 62-62. We're down to 7:07 to go, and Trayce has 28. Been a great game. Xavier Johnson hits a big three to put Indiana ahead 65-64, but then misses the front end of a 1-and-1 on the next possession. Indiana tips it back out though, and Malik Reneau is fouled. He makes both and Indiana goes back ahead 67-66.

7:33 p.m. — Trayce Jackson-Davis is having his way inside. He beat Jack Nunge on an up-and-under move for about the fifth time, and then gets fouled on the next trip,. Makes 1-of-2 and Indiana leads 60-57.

7:25 p.m. — At the under-12 timeout now and Indiana is holding tight to its four-point lead, winning 57-53. Trayce Jackson-Davis up to 23 points now.

7:20 p.m. — Indiana has its biggest lead of the game at 52-46 after another Trayce Jackson-Davis basket. Xavier guard Souley Boum, who has four fouls, comes back in with 14:06 to go. Depth a serious issue for the Musketeers.

7:15 p.m. — We're at the first media timeout in the second half, and Indiana leads 46-44. Trayce Jackson-Davis (19) and Xavier Johnson (15) have 34 of Indiana's 46 points. Johnson a perfect 5-for-5 from the field.

7:12 p.m. — Indiana off to a good start here in the second half, pulling ahead 44-42, their first lead since 4-0. A Race Thompson bucket off a nice pass from Miller Kopp, plus a basket and two free throws from Xavier Johnson. Then he dashes off to the locker room real quick.

HALFTIME — Indiana runs a play for Trayce Jackson-Davis as the clock winds down, but his shot rolls off the rim. We go to the break with Xavier leading 40-38. It's Trayce's first miss of the game. He's 7-for-8 from the field and 3-for-4 from the line for 17 points.

6:47 p.m. — Mike Woodson sits Xavier Johnson, and Jalen Hood-Schifino comes back in. He hits a big three, a good sign since he went 0-for-5 the last game. Xavier answers though, and it'39-35 with 1:24 to go in the half.

6:45 p.m. — Xavier Johnson hits Indiana's first three-pointer of the game to make it 33-32, but then he gets hit with a technical for saying something to the Xavier bench. Take the good with the bad, right?

6:40 p.m. — At the under-4 timeout now and Xavier still leads. It's 33-27. Trayce Jackson-Davis with 12, Xavier Johnson with 8 for Indiana. They are 9-for-9 from the floor, the rest of the Hoosiers are just 3-for 19.

6:35 p.m. — Timeout on the floor with 4:56 left. Indiana is 0-for-5 from three-point range and Xavier is 4-for-7. Clearly the difference in the game so far. Xavier leads 31-25. Trayce Jackson-Davis has been great. He's 5-for-5 from the floor and has 10 points.

6:32 p.m. — Jack Nunge, the 7-foot Indiana native, gets good low block position on back-to-back possessions and scores over Trayce Jackson-Davis. Xavier leads 28-19,

6:27 p.m. — Indiana's bench has been very good the first two games, but now they are on the floor against four Xavier starters and they are struggling. Xavier leads 22-13 and Mike Woodson has seen enough. Trayce Jackson-Davis and Xavier Johnson back in.

6:25 p.m. — Jerome Hunter in the game now for Xavier. He played two years at Indiana before transferring to Xavier. He fouls Jordan Geronimo. Indiana down 16-13 with 10:31 to go.

6:20 p.m. — Jalen Hood-Schifino, back in for Xavier Johnson, gets lost on defense and Colby Jones, who's definitely limping from that ankle injury, scores to make it 16-12 Xavier. We're at the second media timeout now, with 11:33 to go. Expected a tight game, and we've got one.

6:15 p.m. — First subs for Indiana, with Tamar Bates and Malik Reneau coming into the game. Miller Kopp, who's 0-for-4, sits down along with Race Thompson. Trey Galloway and Jordan Geronimo in now, too, with Xavier Johnson the only starter still on the floor. Xavier leads 14-12 with 12:19 to go.

6:12 p.m. — Jalen Hood-Schifino just took a hard shot to the face, but there was no call and Xavier got an easy basket from it. Indiana coach Mike Woodson went nuts, and now the referees are looking at it on the monitor. Play on, they say. SMH.

6:07 p.m. — Souley Boum hits a three-pointer for Xavier and Colby Jones scores, too, giving Xavier a 5-4 lead. We're at the first media timeout, with 15:46 to go.

6:05 p.m. ET — Trayce Jackson-Davis making his presence felt early. He scores Indiana's first two baskets, one on a nice interior pass from Race Thompson. Quick 4-0 lead for the Hoosiers.

5:40 p.m. ET — The same five starters for Indiana as in their first two victories over Morehead State and Bethune-Cookman. It's Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson up front, with Xavier Johnson, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Miller Kopp on the perimeter.

First five on the floor.

⚪️ @XavierJ0hnson
🔴 @jalenhs
⚪️ @RaceThompson1
🔴 @millerkopp
⚪️ @TrayceJackson pic.twitter.com/SfjKKEY2im
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) November 18, 2022

5:30 p.m. ET — Xavier guard Colby Jones, their best backcourt player, missed Tuesday's game with an ankle injury but he has warmed up and is ready to play tonight. He's averaged 13.5 points per game. Xavier struggled to guard penetration without him on Tuesday.

5:20 p.m. ET— Since the Cintas Center opened in 2000, Xavier has won 85 percent of its home games. That's impressive.

5:10 p.m. ET — Indiana was just 3-8 in true road games last year, and it was an issue that nearly derailed their season. They've talked a lot about fixing that this season, and it starts on Friday. There are also tough road tests on the horizon at Rutgers (Dec. 3) and Kansas (Dec. 17), plus an interesting neutral court battle with Arizona in Las Vegas. Statement game tonight for sure.

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