Indiana Freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino Scores 15 Points in First 12 Minutes Against Purdue

Indiana freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino had an impressive start against Purdue, scoring 15 points in just 12 minutes of action.

On Saturday, Indiana ran away to a commanding 79-74 victory against Purdue. It marked their first win over a top-ranked team since 2013.

Trayce Jackson-Davis

Indiana had the first half of the game against Pur mastered, shooting 18-for-29 from the field and hitting 10 of 12 free throws. Additionally, they only committed five turnovers throughout this span.

Trayce Jackson-Davis, the team's leading scorer, had an impressive first half. He scored 15 points in 12 minutes and made some spectacular dunks to help Indiana jump out to a commanding 4-0 lead.

He then hit two 3-pointers to help Indiana build a double-digit lead in the second half. In all, he finished with 29 points on 10-of-16 shooting and six rebounds in 37 minutes of action.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the game was how well Indiana utilized their young talent on both ends. The Hoosiers used their speed and strength to gain ground inside and go downhill.

In the process, they were able to make some impressive hustle plays. They worked hard for possession and even forced some costly turnovers during key moments.

Jackson-Davis' dunks in particular helped build momentum for Indiana and put them in position to pull away late. IU held on for an 87-74 victory against Purdue to improve to 16-7 overall and 7-5 in Big Ten play.

Jalen Hood-Schifino had an outstanding performance for Indiana against Purdue, scoring 15 points in the opening 12 minutes while shooting 7-of-9 shots from the floor and 6-of-7 from 3-point range.

Hood-Schifino is averaging 12.8 points per game this season and shooting 38 percent from 3-point range, an impressive feat for an Indiana freshman.

He will be a major factor in Saturday's matchup between Indiana Hoosiers and Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Ohio State must prepare for him as it faces off against one of college football's toughest opponents - so it is imperative that they are adequately prepared.

Trey Galloway

Trayce Jackson-Davis (21 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists), Jalen Hood-Schifino (112 points, 4 apg) and Trey Galloway (11 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds) all had strong starts for Indiana; however it was Galloway who emerged as the true hero for IU.

Culver junior guard Kyle O'Neil had an impressive night, finishing with 20 points in 27 minutes to set a career high. With this performance, analysts predict more opportunities for him as a point source in the future.

His performance against Purdue proved that he is an ideal fit for the Hoosiers, as his size and ability to get into the lane provided Purdue's smaller guards with space on both ends of the floor.

He hit five 3-pointers and scored 17 points to help Indiana (15-6, 6-4) take a 46-30 halftime advantage. Additionally, he hit six free throws and provided three assists for his team's victory.

As the game progressed, IU utilized its depth to keep Purdue out of the paint. They got three steals in a row and Durr added two blocks and an 18-foot jumper to extend IU's lead further.

Jackson-Davis hit two more threes and Galloway added another for a 45-28 advantage with 14:22 left in the first half. The Hoosiers had ignited an electric atmosphere behind their hot shooting.

After the break, Jackson-Davis and Kopp combined for eight points to give Indiana a 55-39 lead with 11:37 left in the second half. Johnson scored five points and Galloway added four in the final 3:40 of play to put the game out of reach.

With the victory, Indiana moves to 2-0 in conference play and into a tie for first place with Penn State in the conference. Unfortunately, Xavier Johnson remains out due to an injury, so Trey Galloway will need more contributions if they want to make an impact in the Big Ten Tournament.

Jalen Hood-Schifino

In a battle of two of the top bigs in college basketball, Jalen Hood-Schifino provided Indiana with an impetus. Not only did he score 15 points in the opening 12 minutes against Purdue, but he also turned in an offensive performance few Boilermakers' guards could match.

Hood-Schifino made six 3-pointers in the first half to propel Indiana to a 20-point advantage. He finished with 16 points, four assists and one turnover in 31 minutes of play.

On Saturday morning, Hood-Schifino found his shooting stroke. After struggling to make a shot against Maryland in what may have been his worst performance of the season, the sophomore hit a jumper just over one minute into play and never let the pressure of the occasion get to him.

He kept hitting, firing away at Purdue's smaller guards on both ends of the court. In fact, he even hit two mid-range shots in the final minute of regulation to set up Indiana's final run and give them a commanding lead heading into the second half.

Hood-Schifino had a commanding, confident debut as Indiana University's starting point guard. In his initial 12 minutes on the court, Hood-Schifino demonstrated maturity and poise that suggest he is capable of maintaining this high level for some time to come.

Hood-Schifino showcased all of his skillset so far this year and brought something new for Indiana with him. It's no secret that he's an excellent ball screen manipulator, and his ability to get downhill was evident on both ends of the court. It proved a difficult matchup for Purdue on both ends with Hood-Schifino at full strength.

His teammates made a difference, too. Freshman forward Malik Reneau excelled and freshman guard Kaleb Banks emerged after spending much of the season in the shadows.

On a night filled with epic storylines, Indiana's victory will be remembered for years to come. It was their best win of the year so far - and only the beginning.

Miller Kopp

Indiana trailed for 26:01 of the game, but rallied and never looked threatened by Purdue. Indiana shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half and took a commanding 46-30 lead into halftime.

Indiana needed to prevail in this game, as the Hoosiers are searching for consistency outside Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino. For Indiana to remain unbeaten in conference play, Hood-Schifino and Jackson-Davis must both contribute.

Kopp got off to a fast start, hitting a deep 3-pointer early in the first half. This made helped him find his rhythm and for the remainder of the game he worked to open up and get within Jackson-Davis' range.

After some early misfires, Kopp nailed two more triples, including one in the final five minutes of the first half that tied the game at 29. Illinois then responded with an 17-1 run but Kopp got his team within striking distance once more.

With 5:22 remaining, he hit two 3-pointers from the corner to trim the lead to 59-57. For his efforts, he finished with 12 points including four made 3s.

The performance against Purdue served as a timely reminder of the benefits of playing consistent basketball, even in the Big Ten. Beyond Jackson-Davis and Hood-Schifino, Indiana boasts several players capable of taking on bigger roles come March.

Many have commented that Indiana needs more consistent shooting from beyond the arc, but in reality they possess an elite three-point shooting team. Indiana is averaging 1.41 points per possession from long range, higher than their Big Ten opponents' 1.03 average entering Saturday's matchup against Purdue.

That is an improvement from their average of 1.2 points per possession in the team's initial four games of conference play. Furthermore, Indiana is shooting 44% from three in the opening half of conference play.

Indiana has plenty of talent on the perimeter and must utilize that to its advantage in March. But there is work to be done on the glass as IU is averaging 89 points there in conference play but only 69 off turnovers. Furthermore, Indiana needs to start taking more shots from inside the circle which has been an issue recently.