The Minute After: Penn State

Thoughts on a 77-71 victory against Penn State:

PHILADELPHIA – The Hoosiers have been searching for a victory like this all season.

Something to validate them. Something to prove to the masses they can win against good teams in tough environments. Stack enough of these together as the Big Ten season grinds along, and this season might amount to more than it’s looked like thus far.

From the jump, Indiana did not let Penn State dictate the terms of the engagement. Yes, it was a bit of a rock fight, with neither team shooting well from deep and entering half at an offensively-challenged 29-all score. Still, there were signs the Hoosiers were up to the task. Penn State gets to the line well, as it entered the contest with the 40th-best free-throw rate in the country (40.2). But the Nittany Lions shot just three free throws the entire first half, as the Hoosiers defended well without fouling.

IU’s collective energy and resolve also matched the moment. This wouldn’t be a game in which a lackadaisical effort sunk the Hoosiers.

Indiana started hot as the second half began, thanks to Mackenzie Mgbako. The sophomore had his own 8-0 run in the first 1:12 of the half, featuring two 3-pointers and a lay-up. It prompted a quick timeout from Mike Rhoades to try and settle his team back in.

“It was all Mack who opened the door for us,” Mike Woodson said after the game.

It was a lead the Hoosiers kept building as the shots kept falling. Trey Galloway, Luke Goode and Myles Rice all added 3-pointers. Rice scored on a fast break at the rim. Oumar Ballo, who led the way in the first half against a Penn State team that had no answers for his size all game, contributed, too.

Suddenly, at the 10:20 mark, Indiana was up 16 points after a 3-pointer from Galloway.

But the Nittany Lions did not go away quietly. They started to get to their game, attacking off the perimeter, getting by Indiana’s defense and scoring at the rim. They also began to find their way to the line at a higher rate than they had all game thus far. Add in three 3-pointers during this stretch — the only ones they made all game (3-of-21) — and the work Indiana had done to build its lead had nearly vanished.

After Zach Hicks connected on that third 3-pointer after a Galloway turnover, Penn State trailed by just two points (73-71) with 1:43 to play. As Indiana tried to advance it against the Penn State press, Rice was whistled for a 10-second violation. Turnover Indiana. A chance for the Nittany Lions to tie or take the lead.

But that was as close as this one would get. Hicks missed a 3-pointer on Penn State’s ensuing possession and the Nittany Lions never scored again. On the other end, Indiana hit all four of its free throws — two from Mgbako and two from Rice — to seal the deal.

Ballo also navigated playing with four fouls late in the game to stay on the court. He was sensational this afternoon, leading all scorers with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting. He also hit 7-of-11 from the line. Mgbako’s second-half heater aided him along to a 20-point performance (7-of-13, 4-of-8 from deep). Indiana hit 7-of-11 from distance in the second half after a slow start to finish the game 9-of-23 (39.1 percent).

And while the Nittany Lions started to find the line more during their comeback, they left points there, as they made just 10-of-17 (58.8 percent) for the game. The Hoosiers bested them there, making 16-of-22 (72.7 percent).

While Indiana certainly doesn’t get style points for how the end of the game went, it’s still a Quad 1 victory, their first of the season. They battled. They earned this one.

But if they want to be in a more serious conversation for the NCAA Tournament? A healthy amount more of these types of wins will need to follow in conference play.

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

Category: The Minute After

Filed to: Penn State Nittany Lions