Happy Monday Hoosiers! Indiana men’s basketball concluded its regular season, and the women’s team competed in the Big Ten Tournament over the last week.
Following a massive road win over then No. 5 Purdue, No. 19 Indiana men’s basketball took on the Iowa Hawkeyes at home. The Hoosiers sputtered, ultimately falling 90-68. Indiana had no answers for Iowa’s high-flying and explosive offense, and four Hawkeyes notched at least 16 points. Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis set the program record in rebounds after corralling his 1,092nd board, but his 26-point double double wasn’t enough to spark the offense. Iowa junior forward Kris Murray cooked the Hoosiers all night long, coasting to 26 points on 5-8 from 3-point range. The loss was deflating for an Indiana team that was fighting for its life to remain in the upper echelon of the Big Ten.
Roughly a week later, the Hoosiers were back at Assembly Hall to host Michigan in the regular season finale. It was also Indiana’s senior day, and it was only fitting that Jackson-Davis and graduate forward Race Thompson put on a show in the duo’s home encore. In a game that the Hoosiers needed to win to secure a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament, they defeated the Wolverines 75-73 in a thrilling overtime contest to grab the No. 3 seed. With 24 points and 14 rebounds, Michigan junior center Hunter Dickinson did his best to put the Wolverines on his back, but Jackson-Davis wouldn’t let that happen. He totaled 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists and made crucial plays all game. Thompson’s defensive presence was massive, and he made a handful of outstanding defensive stops down the stretch. After the Hoosiers rattled off a 7-0 run to start the overtime period, they ultimately never looked back and were able to honor all of their outgoing seniors in style.
The No. 3 women’s team competed in the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis, Minnesota over the weekend. As the No. 1 seed, the Hoosiers didn’t play until the quarterfinals against No. 9 seed Michigan State. The Spartans continued to have Indiana’s number and made things very interesting in the first half. The Hoosiers trailed by 10 after one quarter and six after two, but second-half adjustments ultimately boosted Indiana to a 94-85 victory. Michigan State’s red-hot shooting was a problem all game, but a trio of stellar Indiana performances were enough to carry the load. Senior forward Mackenzie Holmes tallied 27 points and was the go-to option in the post she has been all season. Junior guard Chloe Moore-McNeil broke out on the offensive end, scoring 19 and adding 11 assists. It was the play of senior guard Sara Scalia, back in her home state of Minnesota, that truly ignited the comeback. Scalia finished with 20 points on 4-6 from range and made huge shots in clutch moments. Next up was a semifinal date with No. 4 seed Ohio State.
The Hoosiers had taken down the Buckeyes twice in the regular season, but the third time was different. Graduate guard Grace Berger led a balanced scoring effort for Indiana in the first half, and the Hoosiers had a more than comfortable 46-26 lead after two quarters. A combination of a brutal Ohio State press and various Buckeyes catching fire gave way to a 24-point comeback — the largest in Big Ten Tournament history. Indiana fought to salvage the game but ultimately fell 79-75. The Hoosiers turned the ball over a whopping 14 times in the second half, a testament to both Ohio State’s defensive prowess and Indiana’s lack of adjustments. Holmes was largely stifled, and it was clear Indiana had run out of gas by the back end of the fourth quarter. Five Buckeyes finished in double-digit scoring, and Indiana simply had no answers in the final 20 minutes. It was a bitter way to end the tournament, but the Hoosiers have a lot to look forward to in the NCAA Tournament. They are a likely No. 1 seed, and official seeding will be decided Sunday, March 12.
1 (big story with photo):
The Hoosiers led by 14 in the first half and trailed by 12 in the second.
>> On his senior day, Trayce Jackson-Davis takes one more bow for Indiana men’s basketball
>> Race Thompson’s heroics come full circle in No. 15 Indiana men’s basketball senior day win
>> COLUMN: Thank you, Indiana men’s basketball, for one last home thriller
2 (big story with photo):
>> Mackenzie Holmes leads Indiana women’s basketball past Michigan State in Big Ten quarterfinals
The Hoosiers’ star scored 27 points on just 13 field goal attempts.
>> Second half adjustments boost No. 2 Indiana women’s basketball’s comeback win over Michigan State
>> COLUMN: It’s tournament time. Indiana women’s basketball doesn’t have to win pretty
3 (small story with photo):
>> Indiana women’s basketball blows 24-point lead, loses to Ohio State in Big Ten semifinals
The Hoosiers couldn’t survive a strong second half run by the Buckeyes.
>> Ohio State’s full-court pressure too much to handle for No. 2 Indiana women’s basketball
>> COLUMN: Epic meltdown exposes flaws, sends Indiana women’s basketball home early
4 (small story with photo):
>> No. 15 Indiana men’s basketball drops ‘meltdown’ of a game to Iowa 90-68
Iowa shot 57% from beyond the arc, while Indiana made just two 3-pointers
>> COLUMN: Indiana men’s basketball is still down for a good, old-fashioned disaster
