LEXINGTON, Ky. — Darian DeVries raised his right hand and scratched his head.
Indiana men's basketball had just committed its 16th of 18 turnovers in its matchup with the University of Kentucky, and the first-year Hoosiers head coach appeared puzzled.
With Big Blue Nation inside Rupp Arena growing ever louder as the Hoosiers’ miscues continue, it became increasingly apparent the Cream and Crimson were headed toward their third loss in the last four games.
The Wildcats followed the turnover with a bucket before the Hoosiers converted back-to-back field goals to pull within seven points with just under four minutes left. Then, Kentucky sealed the game with a 7-0 run over the final two and a half minutes to secure a 72-60 victory over Indiana.
The Hoosiers coughed up the ball twice more to bring their total to a season-high 18 turnovers, which DeVries attributed to a multitude of reasons.
First, the Hoosiers left their feet. Then, they were on their heels. Finally, they were undisciplined. All three create a recipe for a loss.
When the 20,061 fans inside Rupp Arena rose to their feet as their Wildcats made a run, Indiana had its chance to respond. It had its opportunity to show what it was made of in a rivalry game.
“The crowd got cranked up and things,” DeVries said postgame. “That's the time where you got to really dig in a little bit more.”
Instead, they fell. Untimely turnovers and several missed shots followed.
And it was all the opposite of the first half, when Indiana outscored Kentucky by seven points as it headed into the halftime locker room.
Indiana shot 40.9% from the field in the opening half and made three of its 14 attempts from beyond the arc. The Hoosiers made all but one of their 19 free throws.
In just their second road game of the season, the Cream and Crimson had an opportunity to bounce back in a way they couldn’t against Minnesota on Dec. 3. They were tied with the Golden Gophers in that contest at halftime before succumbing in the second half.
It was a similar story Saturday night at Rupp Arena.
Kentucky had five offensive rebounds in the first half and nine in the second. It also forced the Hoosiers into 12 turnovers in the second half compared to six in the first.
“I thought the second half Kentucky certainly turned up the pressure and was able to get into us,” DeVries said, “and we didn't respond well enough.”
Indiana went just 6 for 22 from the field in the second half with only one make from 3-point range. The Hoosiers committed 11 fouls in the half, with fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson picking up his fourth total with 18 minutes left.
Wilkerson, who chose Indiana over Kentucky out of the transfer portal last spring, played just 21 minutes Saturday. He finished the contest with 15 points — three coming in the second half.
Redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries didn’t feel the missed shots were the reason for the Hoosiers’ loss. Instead, it was other aspects of the Cream and Crimson’s game.
“I mean, he (Darian DeVries) hit on it pretty good, the turnovers and obviously the offensive rebounds they had, especially in the second half,” Tucker DeVries said. “I mean, you know, I take full responsibility for both of those areas.”
Tucker DeVries matched Wilkerson with 15 points, but he went 4 for 13 from the field and eventually fouled out of the contest with a minute and a half left.
In all, Kentucky made more shots than Indiana in the second half. But the Hoosiers didn’t just struggle getting the ball through the hoop; their effort didn’t match that of the Wildcats.
“I thought their effort, their physicality in the second half was really good,” Darian DeVries said. “I mean, they certainly cranked it up a notch in that second half, and we needed to respond to it. But I thought their aggressiveness, defensively their aggressiveness on the offensive glass was ultimately the factor.”
Indiana now has a week-long break before its next contest, which is slated for 1 p.m. Dec. 20 against Chicago State University inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
After starting the season with seven consecutive wins, the Hoosiers have won just one game in December. The Cream and Crimson’s final two nonconference games lie ahead.
Then, 18 contests against Big Ten opponents await.
If performances like Saturday’s become a trend for the Hoosiers, wins will be hard to come by. And disappointing moments — like when Darian DeVries looked at the stat sheet, perplexed in the bowels of Rupp Arena while fielding questions — will follow.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Nathan Shriberg (@NShriberg and naashri@iu.edu) and columnist Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki8773 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
