Mgbako Leads Hoosiers Past SIU-Edwardsville in Season Opener

Sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako scored a career-high 31 points to lead Indiana to an 80-61 win over SIU-Edwardsville in its regular season opener on Wednesday night at Assembly Hall.

Indiana Hoosiers forward Mackenzie Mgbako (21) grabs a rebound against the SIU-Edwardsville at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — From the time Mackenzie Mgbako arrived on the Indiana campus a little over a year ago, snippets of an explosive offensive game has been there.

It blew up on Wednesday night.

In the Hoosiers' regular-season opener against SIU-Edwardsville. Mgbako scored a career-high 31 points on on 13-of-17 shooting, leading Indiana to an 80-61 victory at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

It was the most points scored by a Hoosier since Malik Reneua had 34 last Dec. 29 against Kennesaw State. The previous year, Jalen Hood-Schifino had 35 in a win at Purdue and Trayce Jackson-Davis had 35 at Illinois.

It was the third-most points scored in Assembly Hall in the last five years. The most at Assembly Hall in that window was Jackson-Davis, who had 43 against Marshall on Nov. 27, 2021. Mgbako's previous career high was 24 at Maryland last March..

"I thought he was the only one that did much on the offensive end,'' Indiana coach Mike Woodson. "He's still learning, but I thought tonight was one of the best games he's had since he's been here. I expect our players to play at a high level, and I thought we did that tonight in some stretches.''

Mgbako had a terrific start, scoring 13 points in a four-minute span early in the first half. "I was just taking what my teammates gave me,'' Mgbako said. He had 19 in the half, and added 12 more in the second half, including a pair of three-pointers that blew the game open.

Indiana, one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the country a year ago, still hasn't found its rhythm from deep. Just 10-of-44 — 22.7 percent — in two games in the preseason, their issues continued Wednesday. They were just 2-for-11 as a team outside of Mgbako's 4-for-5 night from deep.

Mgbako, a sophomore from Gladstone, N.J., made the difference.

"We all see it. He puts in the work and we know he's a guy that can score for us,'' Indiana guard Trey Galloway said. "It was his night, but there's a lot of guys who are going to have big nights. Tonight it was him.''

Indiana got off to a good start, scoring the first six points and building a 10-point lead within five minutes, but the Cougars (1-1) kept scrapping. They went on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 27-all, but then the Hoosiers went on an 15-3 run themselves to close out the first half. The lead got as large as 20 in the second half.

Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo each had 15 points. Point guard Myles Rice had 11.

Kanaan Carlyle, who missed last Friday's exhibition game with a rib injury, started against SIU-E but didn't do much offensively. He was 0-for-4 shooting and failed to score in 25 minutes of action.

Galloway, who is coming back slowly from offseason knee surgery, played well in that spot off the bench. He has six points and a game-high nine assists, including three great lobs to Ballo down the stretch to seal the deal.

"He can't play big-time minutes because he's missed so much of summer play,'' Woodson said. "We're just gradually trying to bring him along and not burn him. He played 17 minutes, but he played longer in stretches. That's going to be the key.''

Indiana was shaky at times. They had 16 turnovers and allowed 16 offensive rebounds to an undersized Cougars team. Both are issues that need cleaning up — and quickly.

"Myles had five turnovers, and three of them were when there just wasn't anything there, where he forced it into two guys,'' Woodson said. "Those are correctable. I'm still working on him to play the right way and be a true point guard.

"Good point guards, they figure out to make players better and then go score the basketball. I do want him to play the right way and make the right plays. We're still searching offensively.''

The Hoosiers are back in action on Sunday at Assembly Hall. They'll take on Eastern Illinois — coached by former Hoosier Marty Simmons — at Noon ET.

Related stories on Indiana basketball

• TODD'S TAKE: Indiana's new players had an uneven night, but it didn't matter because the Hoosiers' veterans made a great first impression in the season opening win over SIU-Edwardsville. CLICK HERE.

• WATCH: Oumar Ballo gets a feed from Trey Galloway for a second-half dunk. CLICK HERE.

• WATCH: Mackenzie Mgbako gets a key steal to put Indiana on the path to victory over SIU-Edwardsville. CLICK HERE.

• WATCH: Myles Rice, Trey Galloway and Mackenzie Mgbako combine for a fast-break dunk in a spectacular first-half connection against SIU-Edwardsville. CLICK HERE.

• LIVE BLOG: Welcome to our live blog for the Indiana men's basketball season opener against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Wednesday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, where Jack Ankony shares live updates, highlights and thoughts on the game in real time. CLICK HERE

• PRESEASON Q&A: With Indiana beginning the regular season Wednesday, we answer 10 questions – from individual roles to a big-picture look at the season – about the Hoosiers as they head into their fourth year under coach Mike Woodson. CLICK HERE