Lamar Wilkerson fuels second-half burst in Indiana basketball win at Maryland

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Indiana men's basketball improved to a 3-1 Big Ten start for the third straight season — and first under first-year coach Darian DeVries — with an 84-66 win over Maryland in College Park, Maryland, on Wednesday night.

IU (12-3, 3-1) had just a five-point lead at halftime, but pulled away in the second half for a commanding win. Lamar Wilkerson led the Hoosiers with 24 points, while Tatyon Conerway followed with 19.

Here are three observations:

With 3-point shooting muffled in first half, IU relies on free throws

Indiana has relied on a 3-point shot throughout its nonconference slate. It was something Maryland knew well.

And it was something the Terrapins successfully muffled in the first half. Indiana, a team that averages 10 3-pointers a game on a 36% clip, made just two in the first half on 16.7% shooting.

But it stayed afloat at the free-throw line. IU, which had a five-point lead at halftime, went a crucial 16 of 16 from the charity stripe in the first half — attempting 10 more shots from the line than Maryland.

IU eventually found it shot from 3-point range in the second half, pulling away from Maryland by as many as 15. But those first-half free-throws helped keep Indiana afloat.

Tucker DeVries limited with foul trouble, strong defense

For the second straight game, senior Tucker DeVries found himself limited.

DeVries, who averages 15.5 points per game (second-highest on the team), scored just six points on 3-of-7 shooting against Washington on Sunday because of strong, isolating defense from the Huskies.

That happened again Wednesday.

DeVries made just one shot in the first half — an early 3-pointer in the first couple minutes of the game. He was double-teamed after that, forcing him to pass out of any potential shot.

It didn’t help, either, that he found himself in foul trouble early. He sat the final eight minutes of the first half after he picked up his second foul, then picked up his third just two minutes into the second half. He picked up his fourth with about 10 minutes remaining in the game, forcing him to the bench for almost the rest of the contest.

But he had teammates, including Conor Enright, Wilkerson and Conorway, that picked up the slack.

Insider: Manner of Washington win suggests something important about Indiana basketball

Tayton Conerway finds groove in Big Ten play

This is Conerway's first season playing in the Big Ten. With how he's been producing, though, nobody would've guessed.

Conerway, the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year after four years at Troy, has scored at least 17 points in each of the Hoosiers' four conference games so far this season.

It was no different Wednesday, as Conerway went 6 of 12 from the field for 19 points. Conerway also led the Hoosiers on the glass with eight rebounds and in the assist column with four.

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana basketball score vs Maryland, Lamar Wilkerson, Tayton Conerway stats

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