The Minute After: Penn State
Thoughts on a 61-59 win against the Nittany Lions:
Out of halftime, the momentum shifted.
The Nittany Lions, who made just seven first-half field goals and went 1-of-14 on layups, started to find something on offense.
Ace Baldwin Jr. kicked it off on their first possession, getting to the bucket for his first score of the game. Zach Hicks splashed a 3. Then Xavier Johnson turned it over, leading to a Puff Johnson and-1 score in transition. A Nick Kern 3 came next. Hicks followed that up with another 3-pointer that turned into a four-point play, as Gabe Cupps fouled him on the made basket. Indiana’s five-point lead at halftime quickly flipped to a six-point deficit at the 16:30 mark, Penn State making five fields in three and half minutes after seven makes the entire first half.
But Indiana didn’t wilt. Didn’t waver. The Hoosiers just got down in a stance and played defense. They strung together stops. They got scores on the other end. That included a Cupps transition 3-pointer, his second long-range make of the game, to put Indiana back on top by one (43-32) with 12:31 to play. From there, the lead exchanged hands and neither team got up by more than five points. Both teams went zone to try and throw the other off. The Nittany Lions to stop the interior looks for Malik Reneau and Kel’el Ware. The Hoosiers to negate Penn State’s penetration and perimeter screening into 3-point looks.
This was not a pretty offensive game. Both teams failed to score a point per possession (Indiana: .92, Penn State: .89). It also became a foul fest in the second half, with replays showing that the referees didn’t have their best night. Kern and Qudus Wahab fouled out for Penn State, while Puff Johnson had four fouls. Penn State had to go small late as a result and Ware had even more of an advantage. He rebounded a bad miss from Reneau and made a second-chance free throw after getting fouled on the putback. On Indiana’s next possession, he finished an alley-oop pass from Reneau for a score.
On IU’s side, Reneau continues to struggle with foul trouble. He ended with four, as did Mackenzie Mgbako.
Indiana shot 16 free throws in the second half due to all the fouling. And unlike so often this season, the Hoosiers made it a strength. They hit 12 of those second-half free throws. Add in the 2-of-2 mark from the first half and Indiana shot 14-of-18 (77.8 percent) for the game. The Hoosiers don’t win without it.
Mike Woodson drew up a triple drag screen for Xavier Johnson on Indiana’s last possession with the game tied. He got no advantage, so he passed to Reneau up top. Reneau tossed up a tough look in the lane. It missed. But Leal streaked in off the right corner, got in front of Baldwin Jr. and rebounded the ball for the putback to give Indiana the 61-59 lead. Puff Johnson’s 3-pointer just before the buzzer didn’t drop. Ball game.
“He’s come in and given us a helluva lift,” Woodson said after the game. “Tonight, he hits the biggest shot of his college career — the putback. That’s beautiful for him in terms of the hard work he’s put in. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Down Trey Galloway against a team that’s given them fits this season, the Hoosiers gutted this one out to pick up their fifth straight win. Up next? Another team that’s given them trouble this season, Nebraska, this year’s No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament.
Can the Hoosiers make it six straight?
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
Filed to: Penn State Nittany Lions