IU takes more lumps; other Big Tenners represent

Indiana continues to take severe beatings in Maui, this time by the score of 80-54 at the hands of a mediocre Saint Joseph's squad. Compared to the Notre Dame game, the Hoosiers were slightly better on both ends, but there's still not much to be happy about. Indiana did do a nice job on the offensive glass, but turnovers were a huge issue, as they've been all season. Defensively, Indiana did force a lot of turnovers (27.7% TO Rate), but also allowed St. Joe's to shoot lights out (60% from two, 56% from three). Malik Story played well off the bench, scoring 9 points on 6 shots, along with 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Matt Roth had 7 points on 4 shots, improving his 3-point shooting to 36.8% on the season. Next up is a winnable game against D2 Chaminade. Box score.

In something of an early test, Penn State went on the road and defeated Pennsylvania by a score of 85-73. Penn State's offense really shined here, posting a sparkling 119.6 efficiency. They did everything well, but the real standout was the single-digit TO Rate (just 9.8%). Stanley Pringle and Talor Battle were dynamite, combining for 49 points (on 28 shots), 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and just 3 turnovers. Throw in 4 steals for good measure and you've got an outstanding backcourt performance. They also only spent one minute combined on the bench, so you hope they can keep their legs as the season grinds on. A Friday matchup with Rhode Island, possibly followed by a Saturday game against Villanova, will provide a better barometer for just how good this Penn State team is. Box score.

On to the blowouts - Iowa torched SE Missouri State, 75-41. This was a typically slow game for Iowa (59 possessions), making their point total pretty impressive. For the third time this year, Iowa kept their turnover rate below 13%, no doubt pleasing Todd Lickliter. The Hawkeyes also shot well and got on the offensive glass. On the other end, Iowa posted a defensive efficiency better than all but two of their games last season, driven by incredibly frigid shooting by SEMO (29% from two, 0-for-11 from three). Guard Anthony Tucker put up a surprising doube-double, scoring 14 points on 11 shots and grabbing 10 rebounds. Jake Kelly had another efficient game off the bench, with 9 points on 6 shots. Box score.

Finally, Michigan embarrassed Norfolk State, 83-49. The Wolverine offense was good, but the defense was outstanding. This game was played at a fast 75 possessions, meaning Norfolk State's efficiency was only 65.2. Michigan hasn't posted a defensive efficiency that low in at least 2 seasons, possibly longer. They did it by forcing Norfolk State to an eFG% of just 31.8%. Manny Harris stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 assists. Box score.

Here's tonights slate of games, including some interesting matchups for Northwestern and Purdue (all times CT):

6:00pm - Northwestern at Butler - horizonleaguenetwork.tv
6:00pm - Indiana at Chaminade - ESPNU
6:00pm - Boston College vs Purdue - ESPN2
7:30pm - Eastern Washington at Minnesota - Big Ten Network