BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Reed Bailey opened his Indiana career by scoring 21 points and Lamar Wilkerson added 19 points and four 3-pointers to lead the Hoosiers past Alabama A&M 98-51 on Wednesday night in the first game under new coach Darian DeVries.
DeVries has won three straight season openers at three different schools and this one again came with the help of his son, Tucker, a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year at Drake. He finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and four assists after missing all but eight games last season at West Virginia because of an injury. He now has 2,004 career points.
Sam Alexis had 17 points and eight rebounds as the Hoosiers, who had no scorers returning from last season's team, had five players finish with double-digit scoring totals.
Lou Hutchinson scored 15 points to lead Alabama A&M (1-1) in the first meeting between the schools. Kintavious Dozier had 12 points.
It was a physical game, foul-plagued game.
But after the opening three minutes, the Hoosiers started pulling away. Indiana held the Bulldogs scoreless for nearly six minutes, using a 14-0 spurt that pushed Indiana out to a 23-5 lead. Alabama A&M never recovered.
Indiana closed a first half, in which they shot 61% from the field, on a 15-4 spurt to take a 58-22 lead — the Hoosiers highest first-half scoring total since 2019 and their largest halftime lead since Dec. 19, 2011 against Howard. Indiana also held a 42-19 rebounding advantage.
Alabama A&M: Hosts Charleston Southern on Nov. 13.
Indiana: Heads to Chicago to face Marquette on Sunday.
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