Thoughts on a 79-76 win over the Wildcats:
It had all the benefits of another disappointment after beating an opponent. The Hoosiers got so good in the game of Archie Miller in games 2-10 that they were 2-10 after a victory against a coveted enemy.
Their horrific offensive start would have been the reason. The first half was particularly gruesome. Just 20 points. Only 0.65 points per possession. An effective percentage of the field goal of 31. Their first bucket of the game was at 14:25. Their three-point shooting (30.8 percent) was better than their point off the field (21.4 percent) and off the line (25 percent). Trayce Jackson-Davis’ dubious bucket to end the half was their first bucket in two points in ten minutes. They transferred it to 23 percent of their holdings, which put the Northwest eight points off.
Things did not feel much better in the second half. Northwest aggressive double-team Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson lower down and Indiana just could not figure out how to spend it on open shooters. It felt a bit like the Illinois game, where a team’s defensive plan to pack the paint made Indiana’s offense look unfortunate. Jackson-Davis scored just 10 points in this one, a season low. He had trouble defending Northwest throughout the game.
Despite all this, and although Northwest seems to be regulating this, Indiana has taken this thing out in double overtime and avoided a catastrophic loss in the process.
How did the Hoosiers do that then? A combination of clutch shooting and good work from perhaps the most unlikely spot: the free throw line. It was here, too: Northwestern’s two untimely turnovers that were late in regulation to help Indiana erase a six-point deficit with less than two minutes left. Oh yeah, and then Northwestern’s shot clock turnover late in the first overtime, which helped Indiana tie it at 66 and send it to a second overtime. Did I mention that Northwest has now lost ten games?
Anyway, back to Indiana’s offense. As Alex wrote in What To Expect, the Wildcats struggled to defend without slandering. So the Hoosiers kept chipping the whole game. It started off horribly. Indiana missed their first six releases. But Indiana made the rest of the game 27-of-32 from the line, including 14-of-15 in overtime. It was absolutely essential that Hoosiers would return at the end of the regulation and in the first overtime. Indiana’s release rate (FTA / FGA) of 61 percent was the fourth highest point of the season. Indiana got a ton at the line in this one and actually converted on a respected cut (71.1 percent). Al Durham made it 11-out-12. Poor Franklin made it 7-out-8.
Instead of free throwing again being the culprit, they saved Indiana in this.
So did the clutch shot from Al Durham, who scored 24 points. Durham scored Indiana’s last seven points in regulation, including a runner to level the game at 54 and send it to overtime. Durham then hit a long 2 with just over a second to play in the first overtime to level the game at 66-all and send it to a second overtime. Poor Franklin (23 points) had 10 points in that first overtime to help Indiana survive. In the second overtime, Jerome Hunter hits a desperate three-pointer that helped Indiana get the bump and close this one.
Disasters are averted, the Hoosiers are now 0.500 in conference at 6-6. And for their reward after tonight’s victory? A game against the fourth-best offense in the country Saturday against No. 7 KenPom group Ohio State.
Filed to: Northwestern Wild Cats