STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The 7-foot center raced out to midcourt to trap D.J. Newbill, typically not the best defensive matchup against Penn State’s quick guard.
But Cody Zeller is no normal 7-foot center. Indiana’s star sophomore stole the ball from Newbill and tracked down the loose ball for an open dunk.
The fifth-ranked Hoosiers used a big first-half run and poked and prodded the Nittany Lions defensively all game in a 74-51 victory Monday night.
“Sometimes when your shots aren’t there for you or your free throws aren’t there ... as long as your defense is there, you’ve got a chance to stay in the game," Indiana coach Tom Crean said.
Both facets of the Indiana’s run-and-gun game were on display when it counted most. The breakneck offense was rarely stopped in the first half before the pace slowed down in a sloppy second half.
It barely mattered after Indiana (14-1, 2-0 Big Ten) built a 19-point lead in the first half behind the inside-out game of Christian Watford (16 points) and the quick-release jumpers of Jordan Hulls (14 points).
No wonder Indiana had the top scoring offense in the nation (87.9 points) entering Monday night’s blowout.
But Crean credited his team’s effort on the other side of the court for the hot start.
“I thought our defense did a lot of that," he said. “I think our guys were really locked in."
Jermaine Marshall had 11 points for the Nittany Lions (8-6, 0-2).
Also on Monday:
No. 17 Notre Dame 66
No. 21 Cincinnati 60
CINCINNATI — Jerian Grant scored 19 points for Notre Dame, which won its 12th straight. Notre Dame (14-1, 2-0 Big East) is off to the best start during coach Mike Brey’s 13 seasons.
