Indiana men’s basketball was struggling to keep up with Ohio State. Shots weren’t falling for the Hoosiers, and some form of consistency was necessary to keep the contest close and threaten to escape Columbus with a win.
Sophomore forward Malik Reneau was Indiana’s rock Tuesday night. In a dominant 26-point, 14-rebound effort, Reneau proved reliable all night and steadied the ship to guide the Hoosiers to an 18-point comeback in a 76-73 win.
“It’s a good experience for us knowing that we can fight and comeback and take away those huge deficits,” Reneau said postgame. “But we’ve got to really focus and lock in, so we don’t get in those positions.”
Reneau’s first half was all over the place. It featured an inefficient 2-for-7 shooting performance and two turnovers, however, he punished the Buckeyes for nine rebounds — three offensive — and bruised inside to earn nine free-throw attempts.
Sophomore center Kel’el Ware picked up his second foul with more than nine minutes left in the first frame and was substituted out the remainder of the half. Ware’s foul trouble required Reneau to play out of his normal power forward position and slide to the center role.
After trading scores with Ohio State early, a few scoring droughts and the Buckeyes capitalizing resulted in a double-digit lead and a potential blowout in sight. However, Reneau responded by scoring 7 of Indiana’s last 9 points of the half. The Hoosiers still trailed by 13 points at the break, but Reneau stopped the deficit from bleeding further.
Despite the deficit, Reneau expressed his passion and emotions right out of halftime — a little too much. After a no-call on a missed layup by Ware, Reneau threw his arms out in disgust and pleaded with a referee for a call but was instead imposed a technical foul.
With a hair over 18 minutes remaining, Indiana trailed by 18 points. A Reneau dunk was the beginning of a lengthy comeback effort that required the Hoosiers to muster every ounce of energy and will.
Following a first half in which Reneau had little supporting help from a Hoosier squad that shot 9-for-27, the second half became a different story. Senior guard Trey Galloway elevated his play by attacking the basket and connecting from distance, drawing the attention off Reneau and opening the paint for him to wreak havoc.
The 6-foot-9 forward took advantage of the opportunity and built off his first half momentum. He collected more offensive rebounds and converted them into second-chance points while feasting off pick-and-roll screens, forcing defenders to choose between him and Galloway for easy points at the rim.
Trey and Malik are keeping @IndianaMBB in this one.
?: Peacock pic.twitter.com/SMzsS4gkzU
Reneau scored 7 straight points for the Hoosiers midway through the half and Indiana cut the deficit in half, trailing by 9 points with nine minutes left. An ensuing 10-0 run shook the Buckeyes and swung the momentum Indiana’s way. Despite scoring just 3 points in the game’s final eight minutes, Reneau fulfilled his role by stepping up while no one else was, and it was the biggest reason Indiana still had a chance to win.
“Trusting in each other was a huge thing, and just taking it one possession at a time, getting those crucial stops down the stretch,” Reneau said.
Reneau committed his fourth foul with 4:40 remaining, but head coach Mike Woodson exemplified his trust in him and elected to keep him in the game. The gamble paid off as Reneau was able to challenge interior shots without fouling again and scored a key bucket to make it a 1-point game a minute after his fourth foul.
The performance was just Reneau’s second double-double of the season despite what has been a breakout campaign for the former 5-star recruit. The Hoosiers’ leading scorer was relied upon with the rest of the team underperforming and he answered the call.
The win temporarily bolsters Indiana’s bleak postseason outlook, but it did show what can happen when the Hoosiers click offensively. While Reneau’s production Tuesday night can’t be expected routinely, his strong performance combined with a surging Galloway in the second half was enough to overcome the 18-point difference. If a more consistent performance can be put forth by multiple Hoosiers, their full potential has shown flashes of how potent they can be.
Indiana will likely need an all-around effort in its next matchup. The Hoosiers travel to West Lafayette to take on in-state rival No. 2 Purdue in the return game of the season series. Indiana lost by 21 to the Boilermakers on Jan. 16.
Tip off for the rivalry matchup is slated for 8 p.m. Saturday in Mackey Arena. The game will be aired on FOX.
Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
