Indiana pulls away from Kent State to advance in March Madness

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Trayce Jackson-Davis did it all with 24 points, 11 rebounds, five blocked shots and five assists as Indiana defeated 13th-seed Kent State 71-60 Friday night to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.

The 4th-seeded Hoosiers (23-11) advanced to play 5th-seeded Miami Sunday for a trip to Kansas City for the Midwest Region semifinals.

Jackson-Davis became the first player since blocks became an official NCAA statistic in 1985-86 to have at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and five assists in an NCAA Tournament game, according to OptaSTATS.

The last of 32 first-round games to tip off was played in front of mostly Indiana fans and their team delivered a no-drama victory to cap what was already a pretty good day. Earlier, the Hoosiers' in-state rival Purdue became the 2nd No. 1 seed in the tournament's history to lose to a 16 seed when Fairleigh Dickinson pulled the stunner in Columbus, Ohio.

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Race Thompson #25 and Trayce Jackson-Davis #23 of the Indiana Hoosiers react in the first half against the Kent State Golden Flashes during the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on March 17, 2023 in Albany, New York.  (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The Mid-American Conference champs from Kent State couldn't muster any such magic, shooting 32% from the field. Sincere Carry scored 15 points to lead the Golden Flashes (28-7), who had won six straight heading into the tournament.

Well past midnight, Jackson-Davis gave MVP Arena a jolt with six straight spectacular points in the second half. The run started with a one-handed