Trayce Jackson-Davis did it all with 24 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks and five assists as Indiana defeated 13th seeded Kent State 71-60 on Friday night to advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2016.
The 4th seeded Hoosiers (23-11) advanced to play 5th seeded Miami Sunday for a trip to Kansas City for the Midwest Region Semifinals.
Jackson-Davis became the first player since blocks became an official NCAA statistic in 1985-86, according to OptaSTATS, to have at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and five assists in an NCAA tournament game.
The final of 32 first-round games was played in front of mostly Indiana fans, and her team pulled off a dramaless win to cap an already good day. Previously, Hoosiers rival Purdue became the second No. 1 seed in tournament history, losing to a 16 seed when Fairleigh Dickinson drew 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 during 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)
The Mid-American Conference champions from Kent State couldn’t muster that magic, shooting 32% from the field. Sincere Carry scored 15 points and led the Golden Flashes (28-7) who had six straight wins prior to the tournament.
Well past midnight, Jackson-Davis gave MVP Arena a jolt with six spectacular points in a row in the second half. The run started with a one-handed dunk that flew down the lane. A smooth baseline drive followed next, followed by a spinning layup to make it 62-50 with 7:39 to go.
Race Thompson had a season-high 20 points for the Hoosiers in 8-of-11 shooting.
The Hoosiers were 35-27 at halftime when Thompson took advantage of a Kent State defense that was working hard 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 during 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)
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON TRANSLATE TOP SEED PURDUE AND FINISHED SECOND 16 SEED TO EARN A NO. 1 IN MARCH MADNESS HISTORY
Meanwhile, Jackson-Davis made his presence felt with 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks, including a chase for Jalen Sullinger’s layup in the final seconds of halftime.
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Kent State: The last NCAA win was in 2002 when the Golden Flashes made a surprise run on the Elite Eight before being eliminated by Indiana.
Indiana: The Hoosiers played star freshman Jalen Hood Schifino on a quiet night, who scored eight points while dealing with foul troubles.
Miller Kopp #12 of the Indiana Hoosiers reacts after a second-half basket against the Kent State Golden Flashes during 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 played the Hurricanes once, losing 58-53 in December 2001 in Miami.
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