Indiana Routs Bellarmine 92-69 in Opener
Indiana improved to 2-0 with a lopsided win over Bellarmine at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Basketball
Indiana men's basketball defeated Bellarmine University 92-69 on Thursday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers improved to 2-0 on the season after building a 50-26 halftime lead.
Why it matters
The win extends Indiana's early-season momentum as it prepares for a higher-profile test against Syracuse. Strong first-half shooting gave the Hoosiers a commanding margin that held through the second half.
Indiana shot 8 of 17 (47.1%) from three-point range and 16 of 28 (57.1%) from the field in the first half, building a 50-26 halftime lead. The extraction does not specify full-game shooting splits or individual player totals beyond the early scoring runs.
The players
Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball
The men's basketball program of Indiana University, a longstanding Big Ten program based in Bloomington, Indiana.
Darren Harris
An Indiana men's basketball player who opened the scoring and contributed six of the team's first eight points in the win.
Bryce Lindsay
An Indiana men's basketball player who scored seven points, including two three-pointers, during a two-and-a-half-minute stretch of the first half.
The details
Darren Harris opened the scoring with a top-of-the-key three and scored six of Indiana's first eight points. Indiana closed the first half on an 18-6 run, and Trevor Manhertz broke a nearly four-minute three-point drought in the second half before Indiana extended its lead to a game-high 30 points.
Timeline
Thursday: Indiana defeats Bellarmine 92-69 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Nov. 9, 6:30 p.m.: Indiana faces Syracuse in Indianapolis at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Season Trajectory
The 2-0 start gives Indiana an early foothold as the season opens, with the opening weeks serving as a measure of how the roster's first-half shooting and depth hold up. The November 9 matchup against Syracuse at Gainbridge Fieldhouse will be a more demanding test of that early form.
Fans planning to attend the Syracuse game should note its November 9 tip time at 6:30 p.m. and its Indianapolis venue at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The early 2-0 start may also affect how fans track the team's standing in the coming weeks.
The takeaway
Indiana's early shooting surge shows how quickly a team can build a lead when its perimeter shots fall. Watching whether that offense holds up against Syracuse will be a useful gauge of the team's direction.
What happens next
Indiana faces Syracuse on Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Further reading
For more college hoops coverage, browse the Basketball section.
