Kel’el Ware and Mackenzie Mgbako had career-best games as Indiana used a pair of second-half runs to pull away from Harvard for an 89-76 Sunday win in Indianapolis, Ind.
Ware scored 16 of his 28 points in the second half and shot 12-of-13 while adding eight rebounds and three assists, while Mgbako posted 18 points and eight rebounds for the Hoosiers (5-1).
Malik Reneau added 17 points while playing through an apparent back injury for Indiana, which shot 57.1 percent from the field and had a dominant 50-28 points in the paint advantage.
Indiana sixth-year senior point guard Xavier Johnson (foot) was limited to only 13 minutes and three points.
Malik Mack, who is the nation’s top-scoring freshman, posted his fourth consecutive 20-point game with 27 for the Crimson (5-2).
Harvard’s Chisom Okpara added 13 points, and Thomas Batties III had 10 points and 10 boards.
The Hoosiers quickly erased a four-point deficit early in the second half, turning it into a five-point lead in less than five minutes.
Mack hit a triple and scored 10 of Harvard’s first 12 points in the half, but Mgbako’s transition layup capped a 6-0 run that helped Indiana begin to open up the game 2:26 into the half.
The key swing was a 9-0 run over just 2:29 that included a jumper by Ware — who also hit a three during a prior 5-0 spurt — and three Mgbako free throws.
A Reneau layup could not be turned into a three-point play, but Mgbako grabbed the offensive rebound and turned one of his own at the 13:07 mark as Indiana led 63-51.
Luca Ace-Nasteski’s open layup brought Harvard back within 68-61 with 8:40 left.
Ware’s 3-point play helped Indiana take a 13-point lead with 3:12 to go.
Neither side led by more than a basket until Batties’ second 3-pointer made the Harvard advantage 20-16.
Batties and Okpara hit back-to-back layups to extend the Crimson’s lead to 24-18, but Mgbako’s trey and six straight Ware points — including an alley-oop dunk off a Johnson steal and Reneau dish — made up a go-ahead 9-0 run for Indiana.
After Mack’s 5-0 run moved Harvard back in front 29-27, the score swayed until Johnson’s 3-point play highlighted a 7-0 spurt that lifted the Hoosiers by five.
Kaleb Banks hit a three with 1:14 left in the first half.
Mack banked in an off-balance 3-pointer to beat the buzzer and finish a 6-0 Harvard run.
–Field Level Media