BLOOMINGTON – If you’re the type of fan that likes a grind-it-out defensive battle – you know, what’s perceived as a typical Big Ten game – then Sunday wasn’t for you.

Indiana and Iowa had a track meet at Assembly Hall and the No. 16 Hoosiers raced past Iowa 103-89 in front of 17,243 fans.

Cody Zeller scored a career-high 26 points to pace IU (17-5, 5-5 Big Ten). He was 11 for 12 from the floor, including eight dunks.

“I had a pretty easy job of just catching it and dunking it,” Zeller said. “Our guards did a really nice job of finding me in the alley a couple of times.”

The Hoosiers got to the basket at will. Indiana finished with 58 points in the paint.

It’s the first time IU scored at least 100 points in a Big Ten game since finishing with 110 against Iowa on March 12, 1995.

“It was nice for the fans,” IU coach Tom Crean said of scoring more than 100 points. “It was nice for the team to be able to move the ball. I’m excited about the 20 offensive rebounds and the 20 assists.”

It was a total team effort.

Verdell Jones III had 14 points and nine assists.

“The table was set by Verdell and the way he moved the basketball, the way he got it in the lane, the way that he found people,” Crean said.

Christian Watford finished with 15 points.

Will Sheehey, inserted in the starting lineup in place Victor Oladipo, scored 10. Crean said Sheehey gained the start for matchup purposes against Iowa’s Zach McCabe, who finished with three points. Oladipo scored 12.

Derek Elston had a personal 8-0 run in the span of 68 seconds during the first half. He finished with 11 points.

“Coach Crean told me last night, ‘Play with confidence.’ And once I saw that first one go down, that’s how it kind of goes for me shooting-wise,” Elston said. “If I make the first couple of ones, I have the potential to have a good game.

“It felt good to go out and shoot it pretty well.”

Tom Pritchard had seven points. He received a standing ovation after coming off the court for a substitution during the first half.

The 103 points are the most any Big Ten team has scored in a conference game this year.

Michigan State held the previous high with 95 points Jan. 10 against Iowa.

IU shot 55.2 percent (37 of 67) from the floor.

“They had some decent post moves,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. “It wasn’t like they were running a lot of stuff to get them the ball. They were just catching the ball and finishing.”

Indiana didn’t have a stellar defensive performance. The Hawkeyes shot 63 percent. Iowa shot 79.2 percent (19 of 24) in the second half.

“We just have to put a 40-minute defensive game together,” Zeller said.

Josh Oglesby scored 24 points – he was 6 of 8 on three-pointers – to lead the Hawkeyes (11-11, 3-6). Matt Gatens scored 20 points.

“I’ll worry about that later,” Crean said of Iowa’s shooting percentage. “I’m glad we got the win.”

lpope@jg.net