COLUMBUS, Ohio — Indiana sophomore forward Malik Reneau had his arm wrapped around senior guard Anthony Leal’s shoulder. Sixth-year senior guard Xavier Johnson pumped his fist.
In the background, Ohio State sophomore guard Bruce Thornton sat planted on the midcourt logo.
Moments later, Indiana’s locker room erupted in excitement, a group of players and coaches alike screaming so loud it was heard in the hallway outside of the closed door.
The Hoosiers — after losing four of their past five games and trailing by as many as 18 points in the second half — created a core memory Tuesday night, storming back en route to a 76-73 victory over the Buckeyes inside Value City Arena.
“This is a huge win, especially the deficit we came down from,” Reneau said postgame. “Just builds our confidence up and we knew we could find ways to win. I mean, that’s huge.”
The story had already been written — Indiana was trending toward another blowout loss, just three days after losing by 14 points at home to Penn State. The Hoosiers have already lost five games by double digits. Their 13-point halftime deficit offered little hope of avoiding a sixth.
But Indiana, led by Reneau and senior guard Trey Galloway, kept going.
The Hoosiers trimmed the score to single digits with just over 13 minutes to play. They withstood Ohio State’s push midway through the second half, going on a 10-0 run in two minutes to pull within 2 points.
Then, finally, a lead.
Sophomore center Kel’el Ware’s floater dropped, pushing Indiana ahead with 2:46 to play. Ohio State came back, taking the lead inside the final minute to play — but Leal nailed a corner 3-pointer to give the Hoosiers a 74-73 lead, an advantage they never relinquished.
For Indiana, quitting would’ve been easy. After all, its NCAA Tournament hopes appear slim due to its ranking at No. 103 in the NET and its roster remains visibly flawed, starting with inconsistent guard play and a lack of perimeter shooting.
But the Hoosiers didn’t choose the easy route. Instead, they put their heads down and went to work.
“We were pretty confident that they would fold,” Leal said. “Just staying resilient and keep fighting through it, we were able to figure it out.”
Some wins have a theme. This one is resiliency.
Leal said the Hoosiers talked about staying resilient during their bible study Tuesday afternoon, a session they hold before each game. They were able to put the lesson into practice hours later.
Indiana was punched in the gut for the first 20 minutes. It trailed for nearly 34 minutes. Neither mattered.
Galloway held a team huddle in the tunnel for nearly two minutes before the start of the second half, urging others to find a purpose and keep fighting.
Words matched actions — Galloway and Reneau combined for 35 of the Hoosiers’ 47 second-half points — and victory followed. So, too, did a lesson on Indiana’s intangibles.
“I think you learn what we’re made of,” Galloway said. “It’s not easy to come down, on the road, down 18, but I think us just sticking together, taking it one play at a time. Just chipping away, finding ways to go out there and compete, keep battling, keep fighting.”
Galloway said he never saw Indiana give up. Leal added the Hoosiers knew they were more talented and could figure it out — which they did in just enough time Tuesday.
Still, questions persist. Perhaps the biggest is this: why can’t Indiana put together a full 40-minute game with the intensity and efficiency it did in the second half?
The Hoosiers (14-9, 6-6 Big Ten) still lack a signature win. This is their first Quadrant 1 victory of the season. They’re a long way from being in tournament contention.
But winning matters. Indiana head coach Mike Woodson has often noted the youth and inexperience of his team, which features 10 new players from last year’s squad. The Hoosiers may have found this year’s magic too late for it to matter come March, but they’re learning.
“Since December, we’ve been building this bond, this chemistry together,” Reneau said. “We’re finally trying to get that mix together where we’re all connected. We’re slowly but surely finding ways to win games.”
At a program with as much history as Indiana, the time needed to figure out how to win isn’t often provided. Fans have grown impatient this season, and a win over a reeling Ohio State squad that’s now lost eight of its last nine games doesn’t necessarily move the needle in the bigger picture.
Still, the Hoosiers have another month to get hot and create momentum, and victories like Tuesday night’s can serve as a strong platform to spearhead brighter days.
“It’s just another opportunity for us to learn about winning,” Leal said. “Just being able to fight back the second half and figure out how to win is something that hopefully, as we go through these next eight games the regular season, we’re able to just continue to build wins.”
The smiles. The warm embraces. The boisterous locker room release of a pent-up mixture of angst and excitement.
Indiana’s victory over Ohio State doesn’t override its struggles, nor change its underwhelming resume — but it can be the start of a late-season push that returns the program back to where Woodson wants it.
Yet even if it’s not, the Hoosiers have plenty to remember from Tuesday night after a first half — and season — to forget.
“The focus was there,” Woodson said. “We didn’t quit. And we just kept fighting and fighting until we finally made things bounce our way, and the result was a win.”
Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
