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Indiana followed up a mediocre opening performance with an 85-49 trouncing of Northern Illinois in Assembly Hall on Friday.

The Hoosiers got out to a 10-point lead halfway through the first half and never looked back from there. The offense was on another level from the opening tip. The Hoosiers scored 46 points in the first half -- 67% of their entire total of 68 against Eastern Michigan.

Excellent ball movement and shot-making at all three levels paved the way for a 27-11 run in the final ten minutes of the half. They nailed 51.7 of their field goals and 81.3% of their free throws in the first 20 minutes of action.

Trayce Jackson-Davis and Xavier Johnson shot a combined 9-for-12 from the field for 29 total points in the first. Jackson-Davis also added 6 points and 6 blocks in the first 20 minutes alone. He would finish with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 blocks in just 26 minutes.

The second half showcased a similar level of play for the Hoosiers and particularly Race Thompson. Thompson had 9 points and 8 rebounds in the second half alone en route to a 12 and 10 night.

A sizeable second-half cushion also allowed various role players to gel on the court. Anthony Leal, Khristian Lander, Michael Durr, and Logan Duncomb were all able to play their first minutes of the season in the second half.

The numerous standout individual performances were trumped by an overall mesmerizing team performance. The ball was moving around the court at 100 miles per hour on offense, and players were constantly cutting to fill open space.

The Hoosiers hit 34.8% of their threes, 76.7% of their free-throws, and 48.2% overall. It was beautiful basketball to watch, and combined with a stellar defensive performance, was a recipe for domination. They held Northern Illinois to just 30.4% from the field and 18.2% from three while forcing 23 turnovers.

The question exiting the game against Eastern Michigan was if Indiana could maintain the same level of defensive play while making more shots. They proved to be more than capable of doing so in game two. The next step will be to build consistency.

Indiana will look to ride this momentum into their first power-five test Wednesday against St. Johns. They'll take on the Johnnies at 9:00 pm ET with the hopes of earning their first resume-boosting win.

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