Thoughts on a 64-58 defeat for the Spartans:
The Hoosiers fought hard in this game. They fought in a nasty, ugly, offensive challenge.
In the end, they had to cling to the hopes of any NCAA tournament in a game, it just did not happen.
The Spartans, and again specifically Aaron Henry, were better. That seems to be the difference, and the Hoosiers are now below .500.
Henry won Michigan State in this one. As both teams struggled tremendously to score, and whistles never seem to end, Henry pumped up 12 points in the final 4:34 of the game and took it to the defender Indiana threw at him. He scored 18 of his game-high 22 points in the second half. Indiana scored just eight points in that final 4:34.
Unlike the Spartans, who were able to ride their best scorer, Indiana did not have the option tonight. Trayce Jackson-Davis scored just nine points in this one, a season-low. By the last time Michigan State was, Jackson-Davis had a career-high 34 points, the most points scored by an opponent against the Spartans in the Tom Izzo era.
But even though they chose to cover Jackson-Davis mostly in this again, the results tonight were much better for the Spartans. His post-defenders were able to hold the ball back to him time and time again, while Michigan State’s circumferential defenders sank in to make it even harder to get the ball into him. And when Jackson-Davis was able to get the ball, the results were not good. The size of Marcus Bingham Jr. marveled at Indiana’s sophomore year. Other shots he took were just bad. It did not help that he was in a bad problem in this one. The second year ended just 1-out of 5 off the field and could be seen angry and screaming in the second half.
The Hoosiers were above their season average from the line (20-of-29, 69 percent), but reached just 2-of-20 from the 3-point range and shot just 32.7 percent from the field. They scored only .89 points per possession.
In a season he flew for an inconsistent game and when he did not show up, Rob Phinisee played with an aggression rarely seen this season. While only 6-out-16 from the field, Phinisee recorded a team-high 16 points and hit the team’s only two three-pointers of the night. He gets ready to play. But Al Durham finished 0-out-7, while having a three-point ball late in the game, when Indiana tried to keep up.
This is now Indiana’s fourth consecutive loss. And if it’s a deep run in the Big Ten tournament, it’s unlikely the Hoosiers will go to the NCAA tournament this season. The Hoosiers conclude the Big Ten season against Purdue at West Lafayette, a team that has yet to beat Indiana in the Archie Miller era.
Spirits are scarce in Hoosier Nation. A loss for Purdue to end the regular season seems particularly cruel.
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
Filed To: Michigan State Spartans