At the Buzzer: Indiana 59, Wisconsin 58
Quick thoughts on Indiana’s 59-58 win over Wisconsin:
How it happened: It wasn’t pretty, but the Hoosiers were able to grind out a win in Assembly Hall to move to 3-0 in league play and 9-0 in the building this season. Indiana scored just .95 points per possession on the evening, but got enough down the stretch from Yogi Ferrell to pull out the win. A late 3 from Nigel Hayes at the buzzer moved a four-point margin to one. For an Indiana team that typically wins with its offense, it was encouraging to see a win in a low scoring game. Still, turnover issues remain – Indiana turned it over on 30 percent of its possessions – and moving forward without James Blackmon Jr., others are going to have to step up offensively.
Standout performer: Ferrell was clutch down the stretch as he scored 15 of his 19 in the second half and also hit all six of his free throws. In a head-to-head battle with Bronson Koenig, Ferrell made more plays in key situations to push his team over the top. OG Anunoby deserves a mention here, too, as the freshman came off the bench and scored 11 points, including 3-of-3 from distance.
Statistic that stands out: Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin’s best player, finished with 15 points, but shot just 3-of-13 from the field. Credit Anunoby and Juwan Morgan, who didn’t score and fouled out, but gave the Hoosiers a solid 17 minutes on Hayes. Indiana’s two freshman are going to be called upon more frequently in the coming weeks and getting them a combined 34 minutes in such a hotly contested game should help both grow up in a hurry.
Final stats:
Filed to: Juwan Morgan, OG Anunoby, Wisconsin Badgers, Yogi Ferrell