Indiana uses 3-point flurry to beat No. 21 Iowa, end skid

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Devonte Green scored 18 of his 27 points in the first half and Trayce Jackson-Davis added 17 on Thursday, helping the Indiana Hoosiers close out an 89-77 victory over No. 21 Iowa.

The Hoosiers (16-8, 6-7 Big Ten) snapped a four-game losing streak overall and a two-game skid in the series.

Luka Garza scored 38 points, falling two short of tying the Assembly Hall single-game scoring record by an opponent. Joe Wieskamp added 16 for Iowa (17-8, 8-6), which have lost three of five following a five-game winning streak.

Indiana wasted no time asserting itself after starting the day averaging a league-low 5.3 3-pointers.

Green, who finished with a season-high seven 3s, made sure of it.

The senior guard entered early in the first half and needed only four minutes to make four 3s. He added three free throws after drawing a foul on his next 3. The last two in the flurry started a 12-0 run that gave Indiana a 31-16 lead and forced Iowa to futilely play catch-up the rest of the night.

Al Durham’s 3 to close out the first half made it 49-34, and the Hoosiers scored the first five points of the second half to take a 19-point lead.

Iowa never got closer than 10 in the second half as the Indiana finished with a season-high 11 3s.

BIG PICTURE

Iowa: Defense has been the Hawkeyes‘ biggest flaw all season, and it bit them hard again Thursday night. But Iowa had plenty of other woes in this one — committing 19 turnovers, making only 4 of 14 from 3-point range and not giving Garza much help. The good news is they’ve finished completed their trips to Indiana and Purdue, both losses. The bad news: They’ll return to the Hoosier State next month for the Big Ten Tournament.

Indiana: Scoring has been a struggle lately for the Hoosiers, but on Thursday, they found a solution by playing at a faster pace, moving the ball quickly and taking advantage of their athleticism. The next challenge is demonstrating they can keep playing this way, building confidence and stacking wins.

STAT PACK

Iowa: In two trips to the state of Indiana, the Hawkeyes allowed 110 total points in the first halves. … Guard CJ Fredrick left the game with 5:24 to go in the first half when he appeared to hurt his right leg. He was taken straight to the locker room without putting any weight on the leg. … Garza had 21 of the Hawkeyes 34 points in the first half; nobody else had more than six. … Bakari Evelyn finished with nine points. … Iowa has lost three straight road games.

Indiana: Green made five 3s and had 18 points in the first half. … Jackson-Davis had nine rebounds. … Rob Phinisee wound up with 12 points, five assists and three steals while Race Thompson added 10 points and four steals. … The 49 first-half points were the most scored by Indiana in any half since a 52-point first half against Louisiana Tech on Nov. 25. … The Hoosiers had a 39-28 rebounding advantage. … Indiana improved to 12-4 at home this season.

UP NEXT

Iowa: Makes its next stop at Minnesota on Saturday.

Indiana: Begins two-game road trip at Michigan on Sunday.