BLOOMINGTON, Ind — Tamar Bates scored 19 points, Jalen Hood-Schifino added 18 and No. 18 Indiana fended off Kennesaw State 69-55 on Friday.
The game was tied 43-all with 9:49 remaining when Miller Kopp hit a 3-pointer and Bates made another to push Indiana ahead to stay. Hood-Schifino scored seven points down the stretch as the Hoosiers (10-3) pulled away.
Bates and Hood-Schifino combined to make 9 of 12 shots in the second half.
Kasen Jennings led the Owls (8-5) with 11 points.
Hoosiers leading scorer Trayce Jackson-Davis, who averages 16.4 points and 8.3 rebounds, missed his second consecutive game and third of the season for what the school said were precautionary reasons. He's been dealing with a lower back injury since November. Point guard Xavier Johnson is out indefinitely after having foot surgery.
The Owls hit six 3-pointers and led by as many as eight points in the first half before the Hoosiers rallied to tie the game 27-all at the break. Kennesaw State finished with 10 3-pointers.
BIG PICTURE
Kennesaw State: Despite dropping to 0-10 against Big Ten teams, the Owls have impressed with several firsts, including their first nonconference winning record and most wins as a Division I program before Jan. 1. Playing Indiana tough is encouraging.
Indiana: His offense stagnant for much of the first half, coach Mike Woodson has some work to do with a team that relies so heavily on Jackson-Davis. Not having the 6-foot-9 senior center for two games has revealed some weaknesses in the depth around him.
UP NEXT
Kennesaw State: Hosts Central Arkansas on Dec. 31.
Indiana: Visits Iowa on Jan. 5.
