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That's all I've got from Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN where the Indiana Hoosiers dominated the Alcorn State Braves. I'm Josh Eastern saying so long from Assembly Hall and thank you for following along. Stay tuned to VAVEL USA for postgame reaction and more Indiana Hoosiers and college basketball coverage.

James Blackmon Jr. led IU and all scorers with 33 while Wilson led ASU with 15. Indiana had 6 players in double figures

FINAL: INDIANA 112, ALCORN STATE 70

2nd (:5): Katumbusi lays it in and is fouled. He'll shoot 1 FT and he makes it

2nd (1): Katumbusi lays it in for ASU

2nd (1:34): Hartman was fouled and he'll shoot 2. He misses the first and makes the second

2nd (1): Subs coming into the game for IU to the pleasure of the fans here. This includes fan fav Tim Priller

2nd (2): Bielfeldt knocks down a short jumper

2nd (2): Wilson knocks down a 3 for ASU

2nd (2): Harrison Neigo knocks now a 3 for IU

With 3:11 to play in the game, Indiana leads Alcorn State, 106-62

2nd (3): Goaltending and the basket counts for ASU's Johnson

2nd (3): Anunoby takes off and slams it home for IU

2nd (4): Wilson hits a 3 for ASU and Bielfeldt answers with 2 on the other end

2nd (4): Bielfeldt lays it in for IU. 102-57 IU

2nd (4:45): Johnson both FTs

2nd (4): Questionable foul call on Zeisloft. Johnson will shoot 1 and 1 for ASU

2nd (5:03): Blackmon Jr. makes both shots. He has 33 and is taken out to a standing ovation here at Assembly Hall

2nd (5): Blackmon Jr. collects an offensive rebound and is fouled going up. He'll shoot 2

2nd (5:39): Bryant knocks down the FT

DeAndre Davis fouls out for ASU

2nd (5): Bryant is fouled and he makes the shot

2nd (6): Davis with a strong offensive rebound and he lays it in

2nd (6:36): Foul on Davis for ASU. Bryant hits the shot and will shoot 1 more which he misses

2nd (6): Johnson for IU goes down and lays it in

2nd (7:04): Williams called for a blocking foul. 1 and 1 for Johnson for ASU. He misses the front end

2nd (7:31): Williams will shoot 2 for IU out of the timeout. He makes the first and the second

With 7:31 to play in the second half, Indiana leads Alcorn State, 89-53

2nd (7): IU is fouled and that brings us to a media timeout

2nd (7): Onwudiegwu knocks down a 3

2nd (7): Ferrell for 3 for IU

2nd (8): Shot clock violation for ASU as Hunt had no idea. They lead 86-50

2nd (8): Hartman knocks down a 3 for IU

2nd (9): Blackmon Jr. for 3! He has 31 for IU

2nd (9): Bielfeldt lays it in for IU

2nd (10): Hunt weaves through the IU zone and lays it in for ASU

2nd (10): Zeisloft lays it in after a steal

2nd (11): Anunoby shoots 1 and 1. He makes the first and the second

2nd (11:04): Davis commits a foul, his 4th, for ASU

2nd (11): Johnson lays it in for 2 for ASU

2nd (11:46): Hartman makes the first FT and misses the second out of the timeout

Blackmon Jr. leads IU with 28 points while Wilson leads ASU with 9

With 11:46 to go in the second half, Indiana leads Alcorn State, 73-46

2nd (11): ASU commits a foul and that brings us to a media timeout

2nd (11): Onwenu lays it in for ASU

2nd (12): Blackmon Jr. throws it down and now has a new career high with 28 points

2nd (13): Hartman rattles in a 3 for IU

2nd (14): Hartman misses a three and the rebound is fought for and ruled a jump ball. ASU ball as IU extends the pressure

2nd (14:15): Onwugiegwu misses the first and the second

2nd (14:15): Zeisloft fouls Onwugiegwu and he will shoot 2

2nd (14): Hunt drives to the basket lays it in and is fouled by Hartman. Hunt makes the FT

2nd (15): Bielfeldt travels for IU out of the timeout

With 15:18 to go in the second half, Indiana leads Alcorn State, 68-41

2nd (15:18): Foul goes against Davis for ASU and that brings us to a media timeout

2nd (15): Ferrell knocks down a 3 for IU

2nd (16): Long 3 by Vance as the shot clock expires for ASU

2nd (16): IU currently leads ASU, 65-38

2nd (16): Johnson for 3 for IU

2nd (16): Vance lays it in for ASU

2nd (17:08): He makes the first and the second

2nd (17): A few offensive rebounds for IU and Williams will shoot two after being fouled by Onwugiegwu

2nd (17): Big block by ASU on a Blackmon Jr. lay in. IU keeps the ball

2nd (17): Blackmon Jr. with a steal and then Johnson lays it in for IU

2nd (18): Davis fights for a lay in for ASU for 2

2nd (18:39): Blackmon Jr. has tied his career high with 26 points

2nd (18): Another steal and Williams slams it down. Timeout Alcorn State

2nd (19): A steal turns into a bucket for Blackmon Jr.

2nd (19:15): he makes the first and misses the second

2nd (19): Williams going for the emphatic put back dunk gets fouled by ASU. 2 shots

2nd (19): Foul right off of the bat on Ferrell

2nd (20): Teams are out on the floor ready for the second half. Alcorn State will start the proceedings

The crowd here seemed to be more into the halftime show of dogs catching frisbees and doing flips than the actual first half

I'm Josh Eastern and I'll be back in about 13 minutes for the second half

James Blackmon Jr. leads all scorers with 24 points

HALFTIME: Indiana leads Alcorn State, 53-34

1st (:15): Blackmon Jr. hits a 3 for IU

1st (:36): Johnson lays it in for 2 for ASU

1st (1): Turnover by IU and ASU misses on the other end

1st (1): Johnson for 2 for ASU

1st (1): Bryant lays it in as the shot clock expires

1st (2:22): Wilson shooting 2: Makes the first and the second

1st (2): Block charged to Hartman for IU. His second foul

1st (2): Blackmon Jr. steals and lays it in on the other end for IU

1st (3): Williams will shoot a 1 and 1. He makes the front end and hits the second

1st (3:34): Blackmon Jr. hits his first FT and the second as well

James Blackmon Jr. is on fire as he has missed one shot and has 17 points. Next closest scorer is Wilson for ASU and Ferrell for IU with 7

With 3:34 to go in the first half, Indiana leads Alcorn State, 42-28

1st (3:34): Smith commits a foul for ASU which brings us to a media timeout

1st (3): Vance for 3 for ASU

1st (4): Bryant with a nice post move for 2 for IU

1st (4:32): Misses the first and makes the second

1st (4:32): Blocking foul on Williams for IU. Hampton will shoot 2

1st (4): Ferrell lays it in on the fastbreak

1st (5): Big alley oop from Ferrell to Williams for IU!

1st (5:53): Ferrell shoots 1 and 1. Misses the front end

1st (6): Bryant gets a block and IU turns it back over before Onwugiegwu lays it in for 2. Getting a bit sloppy here. 36-24 IU

1st (6): He makes the second FT, missed the first

1st (6): Foul charged to Johnson for IU. Onwugiegwu will shoot 2 FTs

1st (7:14): Bryant makes the free throw out of the timeout

IU is shooting the lights out as they are 12 for their last 14 from the field and 76% overall

With 7:14 to play in the first half, Indiana leads Alcorn State, 35-21

1st (7): Thomas Bryant for 2 inside and is fouled. That brings us to a media timeout

1st (8): Another 2 for ASU, but Blackmon Jr. answers back with a 3

1st (8): Tip in by Davis for ASU. Just an 11 point lead for IU

1st (8): Nice shot by Onwugiegwu for 2 for ASU

1st (9): Blackmon Jr. hits his 3rd three of the game for IU

1st (9): Wilson knocks down a 3 for ASU. 27-15 IU still leads

1st (10): Wilson goes coast to coast for 2 after a steal for ASU

1st (11): Zeisloft for 3 for IU

1st (11): A few offensive rebounds for ASU and Johnson puts it back for 2

Blackmon Jr. already in double figures with 11 points for IU. 2-for-3 from three and 4-for-5 from the field in total

With 11:52 to go in the first half, Indiana leads Alcorn State, 24-8

1st (11): IU steps out of play and that brings us to a TO

1st (12): Putback by Johnson for ASU for 2

1st (12): Blackmon Jr. knocks down another 3 for IU. 24-6 IU

1st (13): Hartman with the short jumper for IU

1st (13): Ferrell with a drive and he lays it in for 2

1st (14): Wilson knocks down a jumper for ASU

1st (14): Steal and a layup by Johnson for IU

1st (14): Foul charged to Bryant for IU

1st (15): Davis with the hook over Bryant for 2 for ASU

1st (15): ASU moving to a zone on defense and they steal it away

Alcorn State is 1-for-5 from the field while IU is 5-for-7 and have hit their last 4 shots

With 15:48 to go in the first half, Indiana leads Alcorn State, 15-2

1st (15): Ball out of play to IU brings us to a media timeout

1st (16): Davis puts it back for ASU and they are on the board. Promptly followed by a Ferrell 3 for IU

1st (16): Foul charged to Johnson for IU. First foul

1st (16): Alley oop from Ferrell to Blackmon Jr. after a steal by Johnson. 12-0 IU and they aren't slowing down. Timeout ASU

1st (17): Blackmon Jr. lays it in on the fastbreak and is fouled. He makes the FT

1st (17): Blackmon Jr. knocks down a 3. 7-0 IU

1st (18): Bryant missess the first and makes the second

1st (18): Good feed from Ferrell to Bryant and Bryant is fouled. 2 shots. Foul on Marquis Vance for ASU

1st (18): Robert Johnson nails a 3 for IU

1st (19): Blocking foul on ASU- Tamarcio Wilson

1st (19): Blackmon Jr. misses a 3 on the opening possession

1st (20): IU wins the tip and we're off

Teams out on the floor. Here we go!

Lineups being announced. Tip-off in 5 minutes

For time and typing sake, Indiana will be referred to as IU while Alcorn State will be referred to as ASU

Alcorn State starters: Tamarcio Wilson, DeAndre Davis, Devonte Hampton, Patrick Onwenu, Marquis Vance

Indiana starters: Yogi Ferrell, Robert Johnson, Troy Williams, Thomas Bryant, James Blackmon Jr.

Both teams out here for pregame warm-ups. Indiana will be in their home white's while Alcorn State will be in their away purple

Looks as if Juwan Morgan will be sitting this one out as he was not participating in warm-ups with a boot on his foot

The latest AP and Coaches top 25 polls were released today and Indiana has dropped from both of those rankings. They are however ranked 25th in KenPom while Alcorn State is 348th (4th from last)

Hello everyone, I'm Josh Eastern checking in from Assembly Hall where we are about 50 minutes away from tip-off here between Indiana and Alcorn State

This game against a team like Alcorn State is a good way to get back to the basics and prepare for the rest of the non-conference slate that lies ahead.

"We got away from being us," Hartman said of the Maui trip. "We didn't play like we've been practicing to this point. We feel like we let ourselves down and let the opportunity slip away. But all we can do now is work like we have in practice, and really lock into who we are, what we do and what gets us wins."

Indiana needs a game to get it back together and put those games in Maui behind them. It wasn’t the Indiana team anyone expected, even the players.

This Indiana team can score and score a lot and that is evident by the fact that over the last four years, their offense is first in the Big Ten in points scored (76.5), field goal percentage (47.2), and three-point field goal percentage (39.8). Their biggest issues have come through turnovers, defense, and free throw shooting. Those three areas have been the cause for concern and the Hoosiers will need to fix those before Wednesday night’s matchup at Duke.

Coach Crean isn’t married to a starting lineup and has mixed it up a few times to try to find the best lineup. It could have been assumed that Bryant, Ferrell, Blackmon Jr., and Williams would be in there almost every night, but with the recent struggles, that can no longer be assumed. They other guys in contention for the starting lineup and the role players on this team are Max Bielfeldt, Robert Johnson, and Collin Hartman. Crean has talked about having a two-deep lineup, but if they want that to happen, they need consistent play from everyone.

For Alcorn State, they are led by 6-7 forward Patrick Onwenu who is averaging 14.3 points per game so far this season. Along with Onwenu, Reginald Johnson has come off of the bench and has averaged 11.3 points per game. This Braves team is not thought highly upon as they are fourth from last in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings at 348 out of 351.

“We're playing with three freshmen on the front line,” coach Crean said following Indiana’s loss to UNLV. “We don't have the front line that we were projected to have. We don't have the front line that we thought we were going to have. So we've got to get that down. They've got to deal with the different coverages that are there and all that different type of stuff.”

The Hoosiers return four starters from a season ago and are led by senior point guard Yogi Ferrell. He has started all 104 games he has played in and this season, Ferrell has had to be a leader on this team as they haven’t had the start they necessarily expected. Thus far he has averaged 16.3 points per game. Another key contributor is Troy Williams. He can get it done in so many different ways, but has had his struggles this year which included not starting a game last week in the Maui Invitational. Freshman Thomas Bryant is also another key component to this team as he provides much needed size at 6-10. A big key for the Hoosiers is protecting the rim and Bryant still has a lot of work to do in that department.

This is the second meeting between these two schools with the Hoosiers leading the series 1-0. Their last meeting was back on March 12, 1979 in an NIT quarterfinal with Indiana coming away with a close 73-69 win.  

The Braves are coached by Montez Robinson who enters his first year as head coach at Alcorn State. He was hired back in April following a stint as an assistant at Bethune-Cookman.

The Hoosiers are coached by Tom Crean who comes into his eighth year at the helm of the program. Since taking over in 2008, he has rebuilt Indiana basketball and has put them in contention to compete year in and year out. In the past four-plus years, coach Crean has a record of 97-47 and since 2011 they have averaged 23 wins.

As for Alcorn State of the SWAC, they come into Monday night’s matchup in Bloomington coming off of an 73-71 loss against Florida A&M in the Corpus Christi Coastal Classic on Saturday and have yet to win a game this season as they are 0-5.

Indiana of the Big Ten comes into this game looking to bounce back after a rough three game stretch in the Maui Invitational where they finished the tournament in sixth place going 1-2. The Hoosiers struggled on defense and turned the ball over quite a bit, but they did show flashes of what we thought this team would look like at their best.

Welcome to VAVEL College Basketball’s LIVE coverage of the Alcorn State Braves vs. Indiana Hoosiers. I’m Josh Eastern and I’ll be providing play-by-play updates, commentary, and results of the game. The game starts at 7:00 PM EST at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN. VAVEL USA will be providing coverage pre-game, during the game, and post-game.

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About the author
Josh Eastern
I live in Seattle, Washington and attend Indiana University as a journalism major. You can follow me on Twitter (@JoshEastern) and feel free to email me at [email protected] with any questions/thoughts.