Ace Bailey Stats Tonight: How did Rutgers star fare vs Indiana (Jan. 2)

Rutgers guard Ace Bailey showcased his full potential in offense, firing a career-high 38 points. However, he failed to lead the Scarlet Knights to victory over the Indiana Hoosiers in a Big Ten Conference clash on Thursday.

The 6-foot-10 freshman made 16-of-29 shots, including 4-of-8 from the 3-point line, for a Rutgers team that played without backcourt tandem Dylan Harper (illness). Bailey grabbed eight rebounds, one steal and four blocks in 37 minutes for the Scarlet Knights, who fell to an 84-74 defeat to the Hoosiers.

The Chattanooga native tried to do the heavy lifting for Rutgers, who were in the thick of the fight all game against Indiana. He sizzled for 19 points in the first half on 8-of-14 shooting from the field, including 1-of-2 from long range.

Ace Bailey already had four rebounds and three blocks in the first half but it was noticeable that the Scarlet Knights were missing the services of Harper, who was averaging 22.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 13 games. Steve Pikiell was looking for production aside from Bailey in the first half but the rest of the team could only produce 15 points.

It was also evident that Harper's absence affected Rutgers' defense as they allowed Indiana to score 41 points.

The Scarlet Knights attempted to cut the deficit in the second half but the lack of manpower and the Hoosiers' balanced offense proved too much for the team to handle. Bailey had 20 points in the half but could only make 1-of-5 free throws which could've changed the tempo if he made those freebies.

Here are Ace Bailey's final stats in Rutgers' loss to Indiana:

Player	MP	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG	3-PT	FT	TO	PF
Ace Bailey	38	39	8	0	1	4	16-29	4-8	3-8	0	1

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Scarlet Knights vs. Hoosiers Game Recap: Indiana pounces on undermanned Rutgers to improve to 11-3

Indiana overwhelmed an undermanned Rutgers squad in a Big Ten Conference matchup at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington. The Hoosiers used a 22-8 run in the first half to overturn a seven-point Scarlet Knights' advantage and led 41-34 at halftime.

The lead reached 18 (56-38) at one point in the second half. Rutgers tried to make a comeback, cutting the deficit to seven, but timely baskets from Indiana's Myles Rice and Luke Goode kept the Scarlet Knights at bay.

Rice finished with a team-high 21 points, on 6-of-15 shooting from the field and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Seven-foot center Oumar Ballo came off the bench and delivered a double-double of 17 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and three blocks.

Mackenzie Mgbako contributed 16 while Trey Galloway added 11 for Indiana, who lost starter Malik Reneau early in the game due to an apparent leg injury.

The Scarlet Knights will be back in action when they Wisconsin at Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey on Monday.

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