Zeller, No. 1 Indiana blow away North Dakota State

Cody Zeller scored 22 points and Remy Abell added a career-high 14 to lead No. 1 Indiana past pesky North Dakota State 87-61 on Monday night. This was no typical game for the Hoosiers (2-0), whose offense struggled to get in sync against the foul-prone Bison (1-1). It all seemed to be part of North Dakota State's plan.

Rather than allowing Indiana to run its up-tempo, inside-out offense, the Bison slowed things down by challenging shots and repeatedly sending Indiana to the free-throw line. And with Indiana's outside shooters struggling in the first half, the game plan worked.

Everything changed early in the second half after the Bison closed to 48-38. Zeller and Abell combined for 15 points in a 23-13 run, finally turning the contest into a rout.

North Dakota State was led by Marshall Bjorklund with 16 points and Mike Felt with 11.

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Jeremy Hollowell And-1:

Victor Oladipo finds Cody Zeller for the poke:

Cody Zeller dunks in transition:

Cody Zeller runs floor, slams it home:

Cody Zeller dunks:

Jordan Hulls drains long 3:

FINAL: Cody Zeller scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Remy Abell and Jeremy Hollowell both added 14 points to lead No. 1 Indiana to an 87-61 victory over North Dakota State on Monday at Assembly Hall.

Indiana (2-0) shot 48 percent from the field (28-of-58). The Hoosiers shot 9-of-24 from three-point range during the game, good for 38 percent. Indiana shot 22-of-29 from the free throw line. The Hoosiers were tough on the offensive boards, grabbing 12.

Zeller boosted Indiana, with 8-of-12 shooting from the field.

The Hoosiers also got double-digit games from Jordan Hulls, who scored 11 and Jeremy Hollowell, who scored 14.

Marshall Bjorklund contributed 16 points and grabbed six rebounds for North Dakota State (1-1) in the loss. The Bison shot 8-of-20 from three-point range during the game, good for 40 percent. North Dakota State had 14 assists on 23 baskets. The Bison also got a solid contribution from Mike Felt, who scored 11.

Winning the battle on the boards was crucial for Indiana as it grabbed 38 rebounds to 25 for North Dakota State. The Hoosiers never trailed in the game. Indiana's largest lead was 29, which came with 1:28 to go.

HALFTIME: Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo have teamed up to give No. 1 Indiana a 42-30 lead over North Dakota State at halftime.

Zeller scored 14 points, grabbed three rebounds, and shot 4-of-5 from the field. Oladipo scored seven points, grabbed five rebounds, had three assists, and hit three of his five shots.

The Hoosiers dominated on the glass in the first half, outrebounding the Bison 18-12. An aggressive offense and the ability to get to the charity stripe allowed Indiana to take a halftime lead. The Hoosiers went 10-for-13 on free throws in the first half.

Indiana, which had eight players score, led from the start and led by as many as 15 points.

North Dakota State shared the ball, finishing with six assists on 10 field goals in the first half. Taylor Braun led the way for the Bison in the first half, with five points and four rebounds.