Indiana Dominates Kansas State, Defense Shines in 87-70 Victory
BLOOMINGTON, IN – Indiana showcased a dominant performance on both ends of the court Wednesday night, defeating Kansas State 87-70 in a game highlighted by stifling defense and a breakout performance from center Reed Bailey. The Hoosiers’ swarming defense forced multiple Wildcats turnovers and successfully limited the scoring output of PJ Haggerty, Kansas State’s leading scorer.
Indiana jumped out to a strong start, fueled by early 3-point shooting, including a make from Conor Enright, who also impressed with his relentless hustle and defensive effort. Despite a mid-first-half lull, IU maintained a 12-point lead at halftime. Kansas State managed to briefly close the gap to 10 points late in the second half thanks to an 8-point burst from Haggerty, but Indiana responded and ultimately extended their lead to as many as 23 points before finishing with a 17-point margin of victory.
While Indiana struggled with 3-point shooting, finishing 10-of-33 (30.3 percent) compared to Kansas State’s 8-of-20 (40 percent), they excelled at scoring inside. The Hoosiers converted a remarkable 70 percent of their 2-point attempts, taking onyl dunks or layups (16-of-23). Kansas State, in contrast, shot 51 percent on dunk/layup attempts (11-of-21) and a poor 31 percent on othre 2-point shots (5-of-16).
Indiana also capitalized on foul trouble, achieving a free-throw rate of 51 percent to Kansas State’s 26 percent and converting 22-of-29 free throws (75.9 percent). Kansas State made 13 of 15 free throws (87 percent) but had significantly fewer opportunities.
The Hoosiers’ defensive intensity held Kansas State to just .69 points per possession in the first half and .91 for the game – their lowest offensive output of the season.As a result, Indiana has climbed to 15th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom.
Reed Bailey led all scorers with 21 points, going 4-of-7 from the field and a near-perfect 13-of-15 from the free-throw line. Indiana head coach Mike DeVries praised Bailey’s performance post-game, stating, “We’ve seen that from a lot from Reed in practice. I thought this was his coming-out party in game action. I thought he was super assertive.Very aggressive,physical. I thought he had a really good game for us.”
Indiana also emphasized rebounding in this contest, securing 35 percent of their missed shots compared to Kansas State’s 25 percent. This victory marks a strong return to form for the Hoosiers and underscores the growing impact of their defense.
