Indiana moves away from Kent State to advance in March Madness
Trayce Jackson-Davis did it all with 24 points, 11 rebounds, five blocked shots and five assists as Indiana beat 13th seed Kent State 71-60 on Friday night to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.
The 4th-seeded Hoosiers (23-11) advanced to face 5th-seeded Miami on Sunday for a trip to Kansas City for the Midwest Region semifinals.
Jackson-Davis became the first player since blocks became an official NCAA stat in 1985-86 to have at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and five assists in an NCAA Tournament game, according to OptaSTATS.
The last of 32 first-round games to be announced was played in front of mostly Indiana fans and their team picked up a drama-free victory to cap off what was already a very good day. Earlier, the Hoosiers’ in-state rival Purdue became the 2nd No. 1 seed in tournament history to lose to a 16 seed when Fairleigh Dickinson pulled off the stunner in Columbus, Ohio .
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Race Thompson #25 and Trayce Jackson-Davis #23 of the Indiana Hoosiers react in the first half against the Kent State Golden Flashes in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on March 17, 2023 in Albany, New York. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Mid-American Conference champions Kent State couldn’t pull off such magic, shooting 32% from the field. Sincere Carry scored 15 points to lead the Golden Flashes (28-7), who had won six straight before the tournament.
Long after midnight, Jackson-Davis gave MVP Arena a jolt with a spectacular six straight second-half points. The race started with a one-handed dunk, hovering in the lane. A smooth basic drive was next, followed by a spinning layup to take it to 62-50 with 7:39 to go.
Race Thompson tied a season high with 20 points for the Hoosiers on 8-of-11 shooting.
The Hoosiers were 35-27 at halftime as Thompson took advantage of a hard-working Kent State defense to limit Jackson-Davis. Thompson scored 13 points on 5 of 6 shooting.
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Mike Woodson speaks to his team in the first half against the Kent State Golden Flashes in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on March 17, 2023 in Albany , New York. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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Meanwhile, Jackson-Davis more than made his presence felt with 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks, including a chase from Jalen Sullinger’s layup in the closing seconds of the half.
BIG PICTURE
Kent State: Its last NCAA victory was in 2002 when the Golden Flashes made a surprising run to the Elite Eight before being eliminated by Indiana.
Indiana: The Hoosiers played around a quiet night from star rookie Jalen Hood Schifino, who scored eight points while dealing with foul trouble.
Miller Kopp #12 of the Indiana Hoosiers reacts after a second half field goal against the Kent State Golden Flashes in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on March 17, 2023 in Albany, New York. ((Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images))
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Indiana: The Hoosiers have faced the Hurricanes once, losing 58-53 at Miami in December 2001.
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