Freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako received the ball in the left corner and stepped into a 3-pointer before firing and being knocked down, sinking it through the net plus the whistle for a foul. Surrounded by his teammates on the bench behind him, he flexed and emitted a yell before he got on his feet and echoed, “let’s go!” as Indiana men’s basketball crept closer to achieving a gargantuan comeback.
Mgbako’s first-ever 4-point play capped off 10 consecutive points from the freshman en route to a career-high 24-point day. It also cut the Hoosiers’ once-16-point deficit to just 2 points in the comeback that ultimately came to fruition in an 83-78 win at Maryland on Sunday.
“He made shots, and once he started to, we started running plays that directed the ball towards him a little bit more,” Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said of Mgbako postgame.
The former 5-star prospect from Gladstone, New Jersey, exemplified his three-level scoring abilities in the win. He shot 8-for-15 from the field, including 4-for-8 from deep, and varied his shot selection by attacking the rim and hitting both midrange jumpers and 3-pointers.
However, Indiana struggled in the first frame due to Maryland’s dominance inside. Coming off a 27-point performance, sophomore center Kel’el Ware was held scoreless through the first 26 minutes of the contest.
It became evident the Hoosiers’ perimeter play would strongly influence the game’s outcome, and a first-half performance with nine turnovers and not enough contributions from its guards dug Indiana into a 10-point halftime deficit. Despite outperforming the Terrapins from beyond the arc with five makes, including two from Mgbako, the Hoosiers couldn’t find an offensive flow early.
Mayland continued its momentum to start the second half and gained a 16-point lead, but then Indiana started making shots and didn’t stop. Led by Mgbako’s scorching streak, Indiana made 12 consecutive shots as it clawed back to make it a 2-point deficit. According to Mgbako, all the Hoosiers had to do was establish a rhythm.
“I feel like rhythm is the name of the game,” Mgbako said postgame. “Just being able to find your rhythm and be able to perform at the best you can.”
While he scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half, Mgbako wasn’t able to catalyze the comeback alone. Improved efforts from Ware, senior guard Trey Galloway, sixth-year senior guard Xavier Johnson created a balanced effort which proved difficult to stop.
Galloway and Ware specifically bounced back from a poor first frame effort in which the two combined for 2 points and five turnovers. They totaled 19 points with just three turnovers in the second half.
Not long after Mgbako’s 10-point stretch, Indiana rattled off a 15-0 run to gain an 11-point lead, its largest of the game. Transition scoring was key in the run, and the core four of the second frame all contributed — Johnson pushed the pace and Galloway, Ware and Mgbako attacked the rim for easy looks or free throws.
Indiana’s lack of consistency within its backcourt has caused various ups-and-downs in its relatively average season, and Sunday showed what the Hoosiers’ ceiling looks like when their guards become reliable. Headlined by their second-half performances, Galloway and Johnson conducted Indiana’s offensive orchestra to a 73.1% showing from the field in the last 20 minutes.
“It was as well as they’ve played together since I’ve had them together,” Woodson said. “We just haven’t been able to get to that point. To see them play together tonight and lead like they did being seniors was kind of nice.”
The Hoosiers showed maturity and experience in areas they hadn’t all season. Indiana’s 7-for-16 performance from 3-point range was its fourth-most efficient of the campaign (43.8%) and its 14-for-17 day at the free throw line was its second-best (82.4%).
The conversation around the Hoosiers could be trending the opposite direction it was a week ago. After its fourth consecutive loss in controlling fashion to Penn State on Feb. 24, a clearly disgruntled fan base had seemingly lost hope. Now, after two inspiring wins, a late-season winning streak isn’t off the table.
It took longer than expected, but the Hoosiers are starting to mesh. Johnson has worked his way back into a contributing role in the lineup and consistency has slowly become more of a constant. Perhaps the best representation of finding a late stride, however, is Mgbako, who has evolved throughout the season and displayed his offensive capabilities more than ever Sunday afternoon.
“I think he played an overall great game,” Johnson said of Mgbako. “He took his chances, he was in the right spot in the right time and we trusted him to make his shots.”
Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
