Trayce Jackson-Davis posted a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds and Race Thompson had 20 points and nine boards to lift Indiana to a 71-60 victory against Kent State in a Midwest Region first-round game on Friday in Albany, N.Y.
The No. 4 seed Hoosiers advanced to face fifth-seeded Miami in the second round Sunday. The Hurricanes closed their 63-56 first-round victory against Drake on a 16-1 run.
“They were tremendous tonight,” Indiana coach Mike Woodson said of Jackson-Davis and Thompson.
The Hoosiers (23-11) hardly found themselves in similar peril. The 13th-seeded Golden Flashes trailed by as many as 16 points and didn’t hold the advantage after the 15:14 mark of the first half. The Mid-American Conference tournament champions had a six-game winning streak snapped.
Kent State went just 7-for-21 from beyond the arc and shot 31.9 percent from the field compared to 46.8 percent for Indiana.
“Our defense, it was a total team effort from everyone,” Woodson said.
The Golden Flashes boasted a 42-39 edge on the boards but were outscored 46-26 in the paint.
Sincere Carry led Kent State with 15 points, while Chris Payton and VonCameron Davis contributed 10 apiece. Malique Jacobs added eight points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Golden Flashes (28-7).
Miller Kopp scored 13 points while connecting on three of the Hoosiers’ five 3-pointers. Jackson-Davis added team highs with five assists and five blocks.
Indiana took a 35-27 lead into halftime behind balanced scoring from Thompson (13 points) and Jackson-Davis (10).
The Hoosiers shot 44.8 percent in the half while establishing their force inside, picking up 20 points in the paint. The Golden Flashes stayed afloat, however, corralling 10 offensive rebounds before the break. Carry led the team with nine first-half points, overcoming 3-for-11 shooting.
The programs met in the NCAA Tournament for the third time this millennium. The then- 13th-seeded Golden Flashes scored a first-round upset in 2001 before the Hoosiers regrouped the following season, topping Kent State in a regional final en route to the national title game.
–Field Level Media
