Indiana Dominates Eastern Illinois 91-57 in Season Opener

The Indiana men's basketball team tipped off its 2026-27 season on Monday night with a dominant 91-57 victory over Eastern Illinois at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana. Notre Dame transfer Markus Burton led the charge for the Hoosiers, finishing with 19 points on an efficient 7-of-8 shooting performance, which included three makes from beyond the arc.

Indiana started the contest slowly, but managed to establish an early 11-5 advantage at the first media timeout. Eastern Illinois responded with a brief 6-0 scoring run to pull within one possession with less than 12 minutes remaining in the first half. After a scoring drought from both sides, sophomore forward Trent Sisley broke the silence with a fastbreak dunk at the 4:50 mark, sparking a massive 20-2 run to close out the half.

The Hoosiers took a commanding 44-23 lead into the locker room at halftime, fueled in part by a 13-for-16 effort from the free-throw line. Indiana maintained its offensive and defensive pressure throughout the second half, eventually pushing its advantage to as many as 27 points. Eastern Illinois struggled to take care of the basketball, committing 22 turnovers that the Hoosiers successfully converted into 29 points.

Villanova transfer Bryce Lindsay added 14 points off the bench for Indiana, sinking three of his five attempts from 3-point range. In total, the Hoosiers shot 50 percent from the field and capitalized on a distinct size advantage that allowed them to control the boards and limit second-chance opportunities for the visitors. Demar Burton led Eastern Illinois with 10 points.

Head coach Darian DeVries utilized a heavily rebuilt roster that features eight transfers and four true freshmen following an undefeated exhibition slate. However, the victory came with some sobering news for the program. DeVries announced after the final buzzer that freshman guard Price-Alexander Moody will miss a significant amount of time due to a knee injury sustained during practice.

With the win, Indiana improved its impressive record in home season openers to 53-3 since Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall opened for the 1971-72 season, extending its current streak of home-opener victories to eight straight. The Hoosiers will look to build on their early-season momentum when they return to the court on Thursday to host Bellarmine. Meanwhile, Eastern Illinois will travel to face the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday.