Quick notes and stats from IU basketball’s exhibition win over Marian

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana defeated Marian in an exhibition on Friday evening at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall by a final score of 94-61.

Below are some key notes and numbers from the second and final tune-up of the 2023-24 season.

Further below you can find final stats from the game.

Indiana opens the 2023-24 season on Tuesday against Florida Gulf Coast in Bloomington.

See also: Woodson, Ware and Cupps postgame | Highlights

A better start offensively: After struggling out of the gate on the offensive end in the first exhibition against Indianapolis, IU came out efficient and stayed that way. The Hoosiers shot 57.7 percent in the first half, and 48.6 percent in this second. The Hoosiers were 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.

Trouble defending the perimeter: Facing a team with lineups of three and four guards who were quick and could shoot, IU struggled to defend the arc in the first half. 27 of Marian’s 35 first half points came from beyond the arc via a 9-of-20 effort from deep. The defense improved considerably after the break, as Indiana stayed connected to shooters and the Knights shot just 2-of-16 from long range.

Frontcourt making threes: Starting frontcourt Malik Reneau, Mackenzie Mgbako, and Kel’el Ware combined to go 6-of-9 from beyond the 3-point arc. They were IU’s three leading scorers with a total of 49. Ware had a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Backcourt perfection: Starting guards Xavier Johnson and Trey Galloway combined to deliver 13 assists against no turnovers. Freshman point guard Gabe Cupps added six assists with no turnovers. Meanwhile, that trio had six steals. As a team, Indiana had just two turnovers on the night and a 23-to-2 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Health update: After missing the first game, Kaleb Banks was available for IU and scored 12 points including two threes. His status moved Anthony Leal down in the rotation. Forward Payton Sparks was unavailable after suffering a lower leg injury in the first exhibition. He had no crutches and was not wearing a boot during the game.

Tears flowing in Assembly Hall: Indiana honored the late Bob Knight in several ways before the game. In addition to wearing uniforms with an “RMK” patch (seen below on Trey Galloway’s jersey), IU played a video of Knight, a special edition of the Martha the Mop Lady video that featured Knight, and led by legendary radio voice Don Fischer, held a moment of silence.

Pregame moment of silence for Bob Knight. Don Fischer spoke into his mic which played in the arena to lead into it. #iubb pic.twitter.com/Jq5rFXCCd9

— Seth Tow (@SethTow) November 3, 2023

One of the most successful & influential figures in the history of college basketball. pic.twitter.com/6XMvJvcuaB

— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) November 1, 2023