Indiana routs Minnesota to bolster NCAA Tournament resume

Sam Alexis scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds as Indiana dominated Minnesota 77-47 in a Big Ten matchup on Wednesday in Bloomington, Indiana.

Lamar Wilkerson added 16 points, while Tucker DeVries recorded 13 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Nick Dorn contributed 11 points as the Hoosiers (18-12, 9-10 Big Ten) snapped a four-game losing streak.

Cade Tyson led Minnesota (14-16, 7-12) with 21 points, and Isaac Asuma added 13 points for the Golden Gophers, who could not carry the momentum from Saturday’s win over UCLA.

Both teams have secured first-round byes in next week’s Big Ten Tournament, but Indiana’s convincing win improves their chances of making the NCAA Tournament. Before this game, the Hoosiers were the last team in ESPN’s latest bracket projection.

Indiana jumped out to a fast start, going on a 7-0 run fueled by four points from Alexis to take an 11-4 lead. That was followed by a 9-0 spurt, with Alexis adding another four points via a layup and an alley-oop dunk, pushing the Hoosiers ahead 20-6.

Minnesota finally responded after a timeout, with Tyson scoring on a driving layup and completing a three-point play to cut the deficit to 20-9. The Golden Gophers then went on a 13-2 run, closing in at 22-19 on another Tyson three-point play.

Indiana closed the first half strong with an 8-0 run. Wilkerson and DeVries hit consecutive three-pointers off slick crossovers, and DeVries capped the half with a two-handed dunk, giving Indiana a 43-28 halftime lead.

In the second half, Indiana extended its advantage to 62-40 on a three-pointer by Nick Dorn with 9:43 remaining. The Hoosiers shot 57.4% (31 of 54) from the field and 41.7% (10 of 24) from beyond the arc. Minnesota struggled with 32.1% shooting (17 of 53) and just 23.8% (5 of 21) from three-point range.

Indiana dominated the paint 40-22 and turned 11 Minnesota turnovers into 17 points. The Golden Gophers forced 10 Indiana turnovers but managed only three points off them.

—Field Level Media/Reuters