BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Interstat) — A dominant first-half shooting performance propelled Indiana to a 78-58 victory over Chicago State in a nonconference men’s basketball game Saturday at Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers (9-3) built a commanding 52-29 halftime lead by hitting 15 three-pointers in the opening period. Lamar Wilkerson scored 21 points and Reed Bailey added 17 points and eight rebounds for Indiana, which shot 15 for 46 from beyond the arc overall. The Cougars (2-11), who never led, shot just 4 for 20 from three-point range. Lionel Larvadain led Chicago State with 12 points. Indiana’s 15 fast-break points and 12 offensive rebounds helped overcome 13 turnovers. Attendance was 12,549.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Interstat) — A blistering first-half offensive display by Lamar Wilkerson and a dominant all-around performance from Reed Bailey propelled Indiana to a 78-58 victory over Chicago State in a nonconference men’s basketball game Saturday at a sold-out Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers, improving to 9-3, overwhelmed the visiting Cougars early, building a 52-29 halftime lead that proved insurmountable despite a sluggish second half. Chicago State, which never led, fell to 2-11. The most critical phase of the game was its opening ten minutes, where Indiana’s precision from beyond the arc established complete control. Wilkerson, a 6-foot-6 guard from Ashdown, Arkansas, ignited the Hoosiers by scoring 14 of his game-high 21 points in the first half, connecting on four of his five three-pointers during the initial surge. His back-to-back threes in the opening minutes, followed by another at the 17:03 mark, helped Indiana sprint to a 14-5 advantage. Chicago State struggled to find any offensive rhythm against Indiana’s active defense, committing nine first-half turnovers that led to nine Hoosier points. The Cougars shot just 36 percent from the field before halftime and a frigid 4 of 20 from three-point range for the game. While Wilkerson provided the early fireworks, Bailey delivered sustained excellence. The 6-foot-10 forward from Harvard, Massachusetts, recorded 17 points, eight rebounds and was a perfect 6 for 6 from the field, showcasing efficiency in the paint and on the offensive glass. His alley-oop finish from Tayton Conerway early in the second half helped stifle any fleeting momentum the Cougars tried to generate. Indiana’s ball movement was sharp early, with Conerway and Conor Enright combining for 12 assists. The Hoosiers finished with 15 fast-break points, capitalizing on Chicago State’s mistakes, and made 15 three-pointers, though it took 46 attempts to do so. The Cougars were led by Lionel Larvadain’s 12 points and 11 from CJ Ray. Stephen Byard added nine points. Chicago State managed to tie the second-half scoring at 26-26, aided by Indiana cooling considerably after the break, but the first-half deficit was too large to challenge. A crowd of 12,549 watched as Indiana controlled the interior, outrebounding Chicago State 44-36 and scoring 22 points off 13 Cougar turnovers. The Hoosiers’ offensive rating of 109.0 on 72 possessions starkly contrasted with Chicago State’s rating of 83.0 on 70 possessions, underlining the efficiency gap. Indiana now looks ahead to a quick turnaround, hosting Siena on Monday. Chicago State continues a difficult road stretch before opening Northeast Conference play at home against Wagner on Jan. 2.

Preview: Chicago State at No. -- Indiana BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Interstat) — The Indiana Hoosiers look to rebound from a tough road loss when they host the struggling Chicago State Cougars in a non-conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Assembly Hall. Indiana (8-3) enters the contest following a 72-60 defeat at then-Kentucky on Dec. 13. The Hoosiers, who have yet to enter the AP Top 25 this season, are 6-0 at home, winning those games by an average margin of 38.2 points. Their offense, which averages 85.5 points per game, will be a significant challenge for Chicago State’s defense. The Hoosiers are led by guard Tucker DeVries, who is averaging 15.2 points and 3.9 assists. DeVries is coming off a 15-point, three-assist performance against the Wildcats and scored 26 points in a close loss at Louisville on Dec. 6. Chicago State (2-10) has lost three of its last four, most recently a 76-55 road loss at Bowling Green on Tuesday. The Cougars have faced a difficult early schedule, with all 12 games away from home and losses to power-conference foes Iowa and Minnesota. The Cougars’ primary offensive threat is guard Doyel Cockrill, who has scored 19 or more points in four of his last six games. He poured in 22 points in a win at Loyola Chicago on Dec. 14 and had 19 in the loss to Bowling Green. This marks the first meeting between the programs. For Indiana, it serves as a final tune-up before Big Ten play resumes in January. The Hoosiers host Siena on Monday. Chicago State, an independent, begins a stretch of home games in the new year. The game tips off at 4:30 p.m. EST Saturday.