Indiana Delivers Tension-Free 97-71 Victory Over Sam Houston

Major contributions from Myles Rice, Luke Goode, Malik Reneau and Anthony Leal help Indiana improve to 6-2.

Indiana's Malik Reneau (5) celebrates after a basket and a foul during the Indiana versus Sam Houston men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – After a disappointing 1-2 performance at Battle 4 Atlantis during Thanksgiving week, the best thing that could happen to the Indiana men’s basketball team upon their return to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, was to have a stress-free, easy time of it against Sam Houston on Tuesday.

For the most part, the Hoosiers delivered exactly that.

Indiana dominated the final 13 minutes of the first half to take control of the game. The Hoosiers took a counter punch from the Bearkats to start the second half, but the Hoosiers absorbed the blow and ultimately pulled away for a 97-71 triumph.

Indiana (6-2) converted 61.8% of their shots and 46.7% from 3-point range. The Hoosiers also marched to the line 29 times and made 22, including 17 of 19 in the second half to keep the Bearkats at safe distance.

Four Hoosiers reached double-figure scoring led by Myles Rice, who scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half. Malik Reneau and Luke Goode each had 18 points. Mackenzie Mgbako added 13 points.

Streaky Sam Houston (4-5) couldn’t keep up. The Bearkats made just 25.8% in the first half, raised the ante to 60% in the second half, but Indiana’s own high-percentage shooting (60% in the second half) and free throw accuracy negated any advantage the Bearkats could have got from their hot shooting.

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Mike Woodson talks with forward Bryson Tucker (8) in the first half against the Sam Houston State Bearkats at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Indiana got a season-high 36 points off the bench. That pleased Indiana coach Mike Woodson.

“I thought it was a total team effort on everybody's part. Helps when your bench come off and play the way they did. Goode was fantastic tonight, but everybody off the bench played well,” Woodson said.

The game started ragged on both sides. Indiana committed four turnovers in the first six minutes of the game, but Sam Houston couldn’t take advantage, missing six of their first seven shots. The only make was a desperation hook shot 3-pointer by Cameron Huefner.

From the time Reneau converted a transition dunk with 13:12 left in the first half, Indiana achieved lift off. The Hoosiers made 12 of its last 14 shots of the first half to surge past the punchless Bearkats.

Among other good things during Indiana’s hot streak to end the first half? Goode buried four 3-pointers. That’s one more than he had made in four previous games at Assembly Hall this season.

“I ran a few plays for him … but we were pushing the pace. He got a few in transition. One or two he got on kickouts from the post. Couple times I ran plays for him where he came off and made shots,” Woodson said.

Goode was thankful for the service he got from his teammates.

“It was good to see shots go down. Got to give a shoutout to my teammates. We really moved the ball well in transition. When you get easy transition threes it kind of gets you into a rhythm of the game,” Goode said.

Meanwhile, Indiana’s defense stifled the Bearkats. At the same time Reneau’s dunk began Indiana’s sizzling first half run, Sam Houston began a streak where it missed nine of 10 shots.

Indiana's Anthony Leal (3) during the Indiana versus Sam Houston men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A key figure in that was Anthony Leal.

With Kanaan Carlyle and Gabe Cupps both sidelined with injuries, Leal played 25 minutes and supplied defensive energy and good decision-making on the offensive end. His insertion made a difference in both halves. This was evidenced by Leal’s plus-minus rating, a robust plus-39, eight points greater than any of his teammates.

The Hoosiers’ lead would peak at 22 before Indiana took a 42-25 lead into the halftime locker room, but the Bearkats came out firing to start the second half.

The 17-point lead shrunk to nine before the first media timeouts as the announced crowd of 17,222 grew concerned.

However, while Sam Houston was shooting lights out – the Bearkats were over 80% from the field in the second half well past the 10-minute mark – it paid the price on the other end of the floor.

Rampant fouls sent Indiana to the free throw line, and when forward Kian Scroggins fouled out via a technical foul with 11:56 left? The Bearkats’ resistance began to dissipate.

Indiana outscored Sam Houston 38-24 after the technical to earn a comfortable win.

It was a complete victory for the Hoosiers – much-needed after the self-inflicted stress of the Bahamas trip. Reneau spoke to the soul-searching that occurred and that paid off against the Bearkats.

“After seeing the two losses we had where we didn't come out, lackadaisical and not ready to play, and being out-toughed, we had group meetings and just we knew as individuals we got to pick all our stuff up as individuals. So that's what we did. It showed today,” Reneau said.

Indiana next plays at Miami (Ohio) at Assembly Hall at 7 p.m. ET on Friday.

Related stories on Indiana basketball ...

• LIVE BLOG: Read about the action as it happened against Sam Houston. CLICK HERE.

• MEET THE OPPONENT: Sam Houston has the nation’s 17th best 3-point shooting percentage going into Tuesday’s game against Indiana. CLICK HERE

• 3 THINGS TO WATCH: The Sam Houston Bearkats come to Bloomington as the Hoosiers try to find themselves after a disappointing trip to the Bahamas. CLICK HERE