The next minute: Penn State

Thoughts about A 113-72 victory against the Nittany Lions:

There are rebound wins. And then there was this.

Indiana absolutely destroyed Penn State tonight, as the Hoosiers returned to form – and then some – on offense. The ball moved. The cutting was clear and purposeful. Indiana scored deep and in the paint. Things went downhill early and IU never looked back.

Lamar Wilkerson was a big reason for that. After scoring nine straight points for the Hoosiers midway through the first half, Wilkerson had 20 points to Penn State’s 14 when he left for a breather at 8:34.

But that was just the beginning. As the second half progressed and Wilkerson stayed hot, it became clear that the Sam Houston State transfer found himself in a rare mood and he ended up breaking two records. The first? Rod Wilmont, Robert Johnson and Matt Roth have all made nine three-pointers in a game, tying the three-way mark for most threes made in a game by a Hoosier. But Wilkerson splashed home 10 tonight. He now holds Indiana’s single-game record for most 3s made.

And after Wilkerson made two free throws and was shut down for the night at 4:58 of the second half, he was down 44 points overall. That’s a record for any player in Assembly Hall, beating the previous best of 43 points set by Trayce Jackson-Davis in 2021 against Marshall.

Maybe just as impressive as those two albums? He only played 24 minutes. Wilkerson went 10-for-15 from deep, 2-for-2 from the line and 16-for-22 from the field overall. It was a sensational performance.

“Hope looked as big as the ocean,” Wilkerson said after the game.

Indiana’s offense also put up some wild numbers. The Hoosiers shot 17 of 31 (54.8 percent) from three-point range, a season high in goals and their highest total in a game since 2016. They assisted on 30 of their 42 made baskets, a season high mark for assists. Another season high? Indiana’s 1.54 points per possession.

IU’s 113 points tonight are also the most it has scored in a Big Ten game since Feb. 17, 1990, when the Hoosiers defeated Iowa 118-71.

In addition to Wilkerson, Reed Bailey came off the bench for the first time this season and had a strong performance. Bailey finished well tonight, making all six of his field goal attempts and adding a 6-for-6 mark from the line for 18 points. Tayton Conerway had some nice scores at the basket, making both of his three-pointers and not far behind with 17 points. Nick Dorn continues to shoot well from deep (2-of-4), but also had two nice drives beyond the perimeter for scores in the second half, finishing with 13 points.

Penn State entered the game with the second-lowest turnover percentage in the country (12.1), but the Hoosiers had no problem turning over the Nittany Lions in the first half. They converted 34 percent of their possessions in the first half, leading to 20 fewer turnovers for Indiana. This young Penn State team struggled in its first Big Ten road game.

This is now the fourth time in 10 games that Indiana has scored 100 or more points. The Hoosiers have certainly shown that their offense at home against lesser opponents can become comfortable and difficult to stop.

But so far that hasn’t translated on the road or against tougher competition.

Can Saturday’s game in Lexington against the Wildcats change that reality?

See more: The minute after, Penn State Nittany Lions