Senior day and a seeding frenzy: the two biggest storylines of No. 15 Indiana men’s basketball’s Sunday afternoon.
Amid a six-way tie for second place in the Big Ten, Indiana entered its contest against Michigan in need of a win to solidify a top seed in the upcoming conference tournament. The Hoosiers walked out of Assembly Hall for the final time this season with a dramatic 75-73 overtime win, securing a double bye in Chicago this week.
The Hoosiers got off to a gunning start, piecing together a quick 7-0 run after Michigan hit a 3-pointer to open the game.
With a combination of explosive offense and steady defense, Indiana gained a lead as high as 14 points. The Hoosiers held the Wolverines scoreless for nearly four minutes, going on a 6-0 run during that stretch.
Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis had a staple performance to lead the Hoosiers through the first half. He finished with 10 points and six rebounds in his first 19 minutes.
Michigan climbed its way back within the final minutes of the game behind 12 points from junior center Hunter Dickinson. The Wolverines went on a 10-0 run in the final 2:52, but the Hoosiers held on to a 29-27 halftime lead.
By the opening minutes of the second half, a once-double-digit lead quickly disintegrated into a double-digit deficit for the Hoosiers, growing to as many as 12 points.
As it was in Indiana’s most recent loss to Iowa and has been many other times this season, perimeter defense proved to be a weak link in its game plan. After surrendering just two 3-pointers in the first half, the Hoosiers gave up three more in the first 2:23 of the second half.
Michigan maintained its hot hand all the way through the second half, shooting 6-13 from long range in the final 20 minutes.
Indiana slowly inched back into contention by way of its graduate forwards. Thanks to a momentum-shifting 3-pointer from Miller Kopp and big buckets from Race Thompson, the Hoosiers crept back to a 1-point deficit at the 6:42 mark.
Sophomore guard Tamar Bates, who had totaled 6 points in Indiana’s previous six games, provided some long-overdue offensive production with two 3-pointers late in the second half.
Jackson-Davis gave Indiana its first lead at 2:49 with an acrobatic up-and-under layup. He finished the game with 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
After Michigan regained a 3-point lead, Indiana freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino took the ball up the court, nonchalantly pulled up from beyond the arc and sunk a long-range ball to tie the game at 69.
Three frenetic possessions ensued. Thompson came up with a clutch steal in the backcourt but missed a layup to take the lead. Dickinson came up short on a game-winning 3-point attempt, then Jackson-Davis did the same at the buzzer.
The game headed to overtime.
The Hoosiers took control from the get-go and went on a 7-0 that ultimately sealed the outcome. A jumper from Thompson, pair of free throws from Jackson-Davis and long 2-pointer from Kopp gave Indiana all the necessary momentum in the extra period.
Michigan answered with a 3-pointer and free throw but clutch defensive plays by Thompson — despite his four missed free throws in the final 12 seconds — kept the Hoosiers in front until the final buzzer sounded.
Indiana will play on Friday as either the two or three-seed in the Big Ten Tournament, depending on the outcome of the Northwestern vs. Rutgers game Sunday night. A bracket for the tournament will be released following the conclusion of that contest.
