Indiana men's basketball erased a 13-point first-half deficit to edge Baylor 76–74 in an exhibition game Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, relying on second-half defense and composure down the stretch.
The Hoosiers trailed 41–36 at halftime but opened the second half with a 19–6 run to take a 55–47 lead and seize control. Lamar Wilkerson led all scorers with 26 points, while Tucker DeVries added 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Tayton Connerway scored 17 points and hit the game-winning layup in the final seconds.
Head coach Darian DeVries said the matchup offered exactly the test he wanted before the regular season.
"It's hard for us in practice to simulate Baylor's speed and athleticism," DeVries said. "In the first half, you could see the struggle, but after halftime, we were much more aggressive defensively. It was a great opportunity for our guys to experience that."
Indiana shot 20-for-21 at the foul line, a critical edge that offset a lopsided 44–25 rebounding disadvantage and a 6-for-24 effort from three-point range. The Hoosiers forced 16 turnovers and held Baylor to 29 percent shooting in the second half.
DeVries credited forward Sam Alexis, who finished with seven rebounds and three blocks, for sparking the defensive turnaround.
"We challenged the whole team at halftime about physicality and toughness," he said. "Sam brought great energy—he was covering up for guys in ball screens and really got us going."
DeVries said the staff purposely scaled back play-calling late in the game to gauge how players would handle pressure situations.
"When the lead started to evaporate, we didn't call timeouts or run a lot of our stuff," he said. "I wanted to see how they'd respond. They found ways to execute in critical moments."
Baylor head coach Scott Drew praised Indiana's toughness and the defensive foundation DeVries is building.
"They have the same defensive toughness he showed at Drake," Drew said. "We had 16 turnovers, and they did a much better job being physical and forcing us into gaps. They played a lot tougher than we did in the second half."
Drew acknowledged his team's late struggles with a self-deprecating quip about fans heading to Lucas Oil Stadium for the Colts' afternoon kickoff.
"We saw a couple of fans leaving and thought they were heading to the Colts game," he joked. "So we said, 'Let's make it interesting'—bad strategy."
He credited Tucker DeVries for his impact beyond the box score.
"Wilkerson had 26, but Tucker attracts so much attention—it makes it easier for everyone else," Drew said, adding with a grin that "their free-throw coach deserves a raise."
Indiana opens the regular season Tuesday, Nov. 5, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall against Alabama A&M.
