As the game clock ticked down with the score tied at 65, sophomore guard Armaan Franklin drained a step back jumper from the left wing with just 1.6 seconds left.
“That’s the guy we wanted to get the ball to,” IU head coach Archie Miller said. “He’s our best guy, most physical guy.”
The IU men’s basketball team avoided its fifth overtime of the season and defeated No. 8 Iowa 67-65 after trailing by as much as 13 points Sunday. The Hoosiers have now swept the Hawkeyes on the season after upsetting them 81-69 on the road on Jan. 21.
Although it was Franklin’s shot that gave the Hoosiers the lead, Miller said junior guard Rob Phinisee’s 3-pointer at the 1:39 mark was more important. For the first 35 minutes of the game, Phinisee and Franklin shot a combined 1-23 from the field.
But Phinisee stepped up to hit that 3-pointer and bring the game to a tie at 61. Then, 98 seconds later, Franklin finished off the game.
Sophomore forward Trayce Jackson-Davis led the team with 17 points and 12 rebounds, recording another double-double on the season.
IU’s defense held senior center Luka Garza — the 2020 Big Ten Player of the Year — to just 18 points. Garza averages almost 26 points a game.
Related: [IU men’s basketball comes up short against No. 12 Illinois 75-71]
Despite only shooting 62.5% from the free-throw line and 35.9% from the field, the Hoosiers still managed to overcome multiple deficits to add this game to the win column.
IU didn’t start the game off well, trailing Iowa by as much as 13 points in the first half. The Hoosiers had a tough time finishing around the rim with Garza, but they couldn’t hit shots from outside either.
Iowa went on a 12-0 run in the first half, forcing Miller to call a timeout to regroup his team when the Hawkeyes went up 15-4 at the 13:42 mark.
Thompson put an end to the Hoosiers’ more than four-minute scoring drought with an and-one baseline jumper. Miller put in freshman forward Jordan Geronimo — who had a breakout game against Iowa in January — to provide a spark off the bench.
Geronimo did just that. He was only the second Hoosier to score a field goal — at the 11:49 mark.
“He’s really moving the ball and making other guys better within our offense,” Miller said. “He does everything for us. The fact that he’s playing well right now to me gives us great confidence.”
Over the next five minutes, the Hoosiers regained their momentum and scored 10 points, giving up zero points in the paint. But they couldn’t guard the perimeter and gave up two 3-pointers from junior guard Joe Wieskamp.
With Garza on the bench with two fouls, the Hoosiers only allowed 4 points in the paint in the first half. But IU still couldn’t guard the perimeter, giving up six 3-pointers.
It wasn’t until the last 96 seconds of the first half that the Hoosiers finally found the energy they needed to close the gap. IU went on a 9-0 run to close the half, marked by a fast break dunk from Jackson-Davis and a 3-pointer each from freshmen Khristian Lander and Anthony Leal.
“I think over the course of time, we’ve gotten to the point here in February where we’re very confident in playing anyone on our team,” Miller said.
In the second half, the Hoosiers and Hawkeyes exchanged going on runs until there were about two minutes left in the game. The teams traded buckets and often tied, spending 5:31 of the game tied.
It wasn’t until the last second of the game that Franklin — who was only 1-9 from the field — hit the dagger to put the game away.
“Our teammates don’t let us get our confidence down,” Franklin said. “They believe in us. We’re gonna hit the big shot.”
With the win, the Hoosiers snapped a two-game losing streak after losing to No. 12 Illinois on Tuesday.
“Total team effort today, and that’s not really coach speak,” Miller said. “I think that’s a testament to their work ethic.”
