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Ideas on a 74-68 win towards Iowa:
For a second straight recreation, Indiana performed with extra grit and dedication, displaying an elevated togetherness on protection.
However this time round? The photographs fell and the Hoosiers made the performs down the stretch, incomes tonight’s victory in consequence.
It wasn’t all smiles. Malik Reneau went down with an ankle harm early within the first half and didn’t return. After being evaluated off the ground, he returned to the bench emotional and with crutches. Xavier Johnson additionally got here down laborious after getting fouled on a dunk try late within the second half, writhing in ache from an arm harm that didn’t look good. And Kel’el Ware, in his return, was additionally hobbling round within the second half.
Nonetheless, Indiana fought by means of all that adversity and acquired it accomplished.
The Hoosiers received this recreation as a result of it held an elite offense down. Iowa’s 68 factors had been 17 beneath its common of 85 getting into tonight’s contest. Iowa did discover its offensive footing within the second half in transition (13 fast-break factors) and Tony Perkins additionally proved to be a tricky cowl, scoring 17 of his 22 factors after the break as nicely. In the meantime, Payton Sandfort had it going a lot of the contest on his option to a game-high 26 factors. Sandfort hit an insane shot from the left nook on a sidelines out of bounds play and little time left on the shot clock to place Iowa up two (68-66) with 1:42 to go. It felt prefer it might be Iowa’s evening after that. But it surely was the final bucket the Hawkeyes would rating all recreation, as Indiana held them scoreless for the rest of the competition.
Indiana’s protection shined brightest within the first half. Throughout one stretch, Iowa mustered simply 1-of-16 taking pictures. The Hoosiers blocked six first-half photographs and eight for the sport. They held Iowa to 24 factors within the paint when the Hawkeyes got here in averaging 40. And Iowa, one of many better-assisting groups within the nation, assisted on simply 10 of its buckets tonight, down from its common of 17.
With Reneau out, Indiana discovered its offense in several methods. Indiana, not identified for its rebounding prowess, rebounded 38 p.c of its misses, which helped the Hoosiers to a 15-4 benefit on second-chance factors. Ware was the catalyst there, as Iowa actually had no reply for his measurement. 5 of his 10 rebounds had been of the offense selection. 4 of these offensive rebounds got here within the second half when it usually felt like Indiana’s greatest offense was him cleansing up his teammates’ missed photographs. The Oregon switch’s 23 factors led the best way for the Hoosiers. Past the offensive rebounding and second-chance factors, the Hoosiers thrived from deep. After lacking all 9 of their makes an attempt in Champaign over the weekend, Indiana hoisted up 22 towards the Hawkeyes, connecting on eight (36.4 p.c).
Three of these eight got here from Anthony Leal, who scored a career-high 13 factors.
“It’s actually not that arduous to remain prepared, for those who’re about the proper issues,” Leal mentioned in his post-game interview on the Huge Ten Community. “You do the proper issues each day and also you’re dedicated to the group and what the group’s working in direction of. So for me, it’s simply loving placing this jersey on and coming to work each day and attempting to get higher as a group.”
Mike Woodson sang Leal’s praises post-game as nicely.
“The place I come from within the NBA, you name {that a} true professional,” Woodson mentioned. “Anthony is the final word teammate when it comes to hanging in there with me. I’ve coached him and he’s come to observe each day and has accomplished what’s requested of him and by no means complained. Not as soon as. He’s been a real, true, true teammate. Guys like that, it’s straightforward to educate. It’s straightforward to throw him within the recreation and be ok with it as a result of you recognize what you’re gonna get primarily based on how he performs in observe. He’s earned the proper to play and that’s why I’m taking part in him.”
One other a kind of 3s got here from Gabe Cupps in a completely essential second. After the aforementioned Sandfort left-corner make to offer Iowa a two-point benefit, Cupps stepped right into a 3-pointer from the left wing with confidence and banged it residence to offer Indiana the lead for good. It was his solely shot of the evening.
The Hoosiers is perhaps down two starters in Reneau and Johnson by the point the ball is tipped on Saturday afternoon towards Penn State. However with out them late within the recreation tonight, Indiana dug deep and pulled out the W. After shedding three straight, it was a gutsy efficiency by a group not giving up on the season.
Filed to: Iowa Hawkeyes
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