Jalen Hood-Schifino broke out of a slump with 24 points and Indiana used a devastating run to end the first half for its fifth straight win, 86-70, over Ohio State on Saturday in Bloomington, Ind.
Hood-Schifino, who had 20 points by halftime, made 8 of 12 shots, including 6 of 9 from 3-point range, while Trayce Jackson-Davis added 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Hoosiers (15-6, 6-4 Big Ten).
Brice Sensabaugh had 23 points for the Buckeyes (11-10, 3-7), who have lost seven of eight.
After Zed Key made a free throw to pull Ohio State to within 31-30 with 5:05 left in the first half, the Hoosiers went on a 15-0 tear for a 46-30 halftime lead. The Buckeyes went 0 for 7 from the floor in the span. Jackson-Davis and Malik Reneau each scored four points and Hood-Schifino added a trey.
The final points before the break came on a fastbreak after a steal by Jackson-Davis, who lobbed a pass to Kaleb Banks for an easy layup.
The focus prior to the game was rightly on Jackson-Davis, who averaged 30.3 points, 15 rebounds and 3.7 assists the previous three games, but the freshman Hood-Schifino stole the show.
In the previous two games he was 3 for 17 from the field, including 0 for 6 from beyond the arc, and scored a total of eight points. By the half against the Buckeyes, he hit 7 of 9 from the floor, including 6 of 7 from long range.
His hot shooting allowed the Hoosiers to keep up with the Buckeyes. He tied the score at 18-18 by draining a 3-pointer, his fifth shot in as many tries, four of them from long range. When Ohio State went up 21-18, Hood-Schifino hit another triple to tie it again and spark a 9-0 run that put the Hoosiers ahead 27-21.
The start of the second half was delayed about five minutes when a metal rod fell from the center court scoreboard, nearly striking Sensabaugh. After an inspection of the board, the game resumed.
— Field Level Media