39: Indiana @ Kohler

[Pete Peterson]

Rice’s 46 Leads Knight Hawks Past Kohler as Toiletmakers’ Slide Continues

Kohler, WI — If the Kohler Toiletmakers were hoping for a reset Wednesday night, the Indiana Knight Hawks delivered something far less comforting: another reminder of how long this season has felt.

Behind a spectacular 46-point performance from Glen Rice, Indiana rolled past Kohler 133–114, sending the Toiletmakers to yet another loss in a campaign that increasingly feels like a weekly exercise in missed opportunities.

Rice was unstoppable from the opening quarter, pouring in baskets from all angles and never allowing Kohler the kind of sustained run that might have turned the game competitive.

“When a guy gets in that kind of rhythm, it’s tough,” Kohler guard Jerry Stackhouse said afterward. “We kept trying different looks, but he had it going tonight.”

Indiana’s win lifted the Knight Hawks to 19–14, while Kohler’s frustrating season continued with another defeat that followed a familiar script.

Early Hope for Kohler

For a few minutes early in the game, it looked as though the Toiletmakers might finally get the kind of start they’ve been searching for all season.

Stackhouse ignited the opening stretch with back-to-back fast-break baskets, pushing Kohler ahead. Moments later Bryon Russell finished another transition play, and the home crowd briefly came alive as Kohler built a quick six-point advantage.

But that momentum evaporated quickly.

Rice answered with a transition bucket of his own and then buried a jumper moments later, igniting a scoring surge that would carry the Knight Hawks for the rest of the night.

“You knew he was feeling it early,” said Kohler center Shaquille O’Neal. “And once he gets going like that, it’s a long night.”

Rice Takes Control

Rice’s second quarter turned the game decisively in Indiana’s favor.

The Knight Hawks star attacked relentlessly, scoring off penetration, transition and outside shooting. A deep three midway through the quarter pushed Indiana’s lead to double digits and quieted the Kohler crowd.

Meanwhile Indiana kept piling on with contributions across the roster.

Tom Gugliotta added 25 points, repeatedly exploiting mismatches inside, while Gheorghe Muresan controlled the glass, finishing with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Indiana’s fast-break attack also proved lethal, repeatedly punishing Kohler turnovers and defensive lapses.

“It felt like every mistake we made turned into two points the other way,” Kohler veteran Joe Dumars said.

By halftime Indiana had built a 74–60 lead, and the game had already begun to take on the tone of a runaway.

Shaq Battles Inside

Kohler did find one steady source of offense in Shaquille O’Neal, who battled inside all night to finish with 26 points and 14 rebounds.

The big man scored repeatedly in the paint and provided the only consistent resistance to Indiana’s surge.

“Shaq played like Shaq,” Stackhouse said. “He kept fighting in there.”

Stackhouse himself added 22 points, though it took him 18 shot attempts and 20 free throws to get there — a stat line that perfectly captured the difficult night Kohler’s offense endured.

The Third-Quarter Avalanche

Any hope of a Kohler comeback faded quickly in the third quarter.

Rice erupted for 20 points in the period, including two threes and several driving finishes that stretched Indiana’s lead past twenty.

Each time Kohler tried to answer — a Wesley jumper here, an Abdur-Rahim basket there — Rice responded immediately.

At one point late in the quarter, Rice buried another jumper that pushed the Knight Hawks’ lead to 22 points, their largest of the night.

The groan from the home crowd carried the unmistakable tone of recognition.

They had seen this movie before.

Another Tough Chapter for Kohler

The final numbers told the story of another frustrating night.

Kohler shot 47 percent from the field and dominated the paint with 40 points inside, but defensive breakdowns and Indiana’s relentless transition attack erased any advantage.

The Knight Hawks shot 50 percent from the floor and piled up 133 points, a number that reflected just how easily they scored throughout the game.

More telling was this: Kohler failed to outscore Indiana in any of the four quarters, meaning the Toiletmakers were chasing the game from start to finish.

“It’s been that kind of season,” Wesley said with a shrug. “We flash stretches where we look really good… then we give it right back.”

Searching for Answers

For a team with the talent Kohler possesses — O’Neal inside, Stackhouse on the wing, Abdur-Rahim providing scoring punch — the lack of consistency has become the defining storyline of the season.

“We’ve got pieces,” Dumars said. “But we’ve got to put them together for 48 minutes.”

Until that happens, the Toiletmakers may keep experiencing nights like this one — where they show flashes of promise early, only to watch the opponent’s star take over and the scoreboard slowly drift out of reach.

And on this particular night, that star wore an Indiana uniform and answered to the name Glen Rice.