Indiana Pulls Away From Tennessee Tech After Halftime

Indiana turned a close contest into a 24-point win, limiting Tennessee Tech after the break and getting an early second-half scoring lift from reserve Bryce Lindsay. The Hoosiers held the Golden Eagles to 15 points on 23% shooting in the second half and forced six turnovers in that span, opening a 28-point lead with 5:34 remaining.

The defensive improvement followed a more difficult first half. Tennessee Tech’s perimeter shooting and pace stretched Indiana’s larger players away from the basket, while the Golden Eagles held a 20-17 rebounding advantage at halftime and collected six offensive boards to Indiana’s three.

Indiana found offense despite quiet starts from Markus Burton, Jaeden Mustaf and Darren Harris, who combined for five first-half points on 1-for-7 shooting. The Hoosiers earned trips to the free-throw line, and Lindsay scored eight points early in the second half as Indiana began to pull clear.

Samet Yigitoglu made an early impact inside, scoring on Indiana’s first three possessions and finishing his first-half stint with 10 points in eight minutes. Indiana’s overall finishing and rebounding were less consistent: the Hoosiers made five of 11 first-half layups, and their big men had to contest shooters away from the rim.

Freshman Trevor Manhertz also responded after a difficult game against Syracuse. He assisted Sam Alexis with a quick pass on his first possession, then added a dunk, a three-pointer and a second-half floater. His willingness to pass, drive and shoot stood out four games into his college career.