Thoughts on a 79-74 win against the Hilltoppers:
After two relatively smooth victories this exhibition season for the Hoosiers, tonight’s game against Western Kentucky proved different.
This one was a dogfight until the end.
The Hilltoppers came out the aggressor on defense and Indiana had trouble dealing with their hard hedging in high ball screen action. When the Hoosiers did find shots in their half-court offense otherwise early on, they often failed to convert. Western Kentucky also made the tactical decision to double-team Samet Yigitoglu, creating another opportunity to put two defenders on the basketball. Indiana eventually figured out how to use it to its advantage, as Yigitoglu looked for teammates diving and cutting to the basket. He racked up four assists in the first half. Getting the ball to Yigitoglu, drawing the extra defender and finding another Hoosier for a basket became about Indiana’s best offense of the half.
Otherwise the numbers were pretty pedestrian over the first 20 minutes. Gone was the Hoosiers’ elite offensive rebounding from their first two exhibition games (25 OR%, three second-chance points). They scored just .88 points per possession. And while the Hoosiers had a sizeable advantage at the line, taking eight more free throws than the Hilltoppers, they struggled to make them (8-of-13, 61.5%).
Western Kentucky carried a two-point lead into the break (37-35), one it extended as the second half began. After a Teagan Moore free throw at the 14:31 mark, the Hilltoppers went up 11 on IU, 51-40.
It looked like the Hoosiers weren’t up to the task this evening.
But from there, Indiana began to chip away. And as things wore on, Darian DeVries made the decision to ride his bench — and some of his freshmen — down the stretch.
Yigitoglu came out at the 9:24 mark and never returned. Markus Burton and Jaeden Mustaf followed at the 8:29 mark, never to see the floor again. Darren Harris followed shortly after (7:57), with Aiden Sherrell checking out for good at the 6:22 mark.
Instead, Prince-Alexander Moody, Sam Alexis, Vaughn Karvala, Trevor Manhertz and Bryce Lindsay did the bulk of the work to get the Hoosiers the W tonight.
Alexis did Alexis things, providing the spark he became known for last season. He scored 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting in 12 minutes of second-half action. He snagged key offensive rebounds and scored second-chance points. Moody pestered Western Kentucky’s backcourt and hit two 3-pointers. Karvala had a critical offensive rebound putback to give Indiana a four-point cushion with 47 seconds to play. Manhertz was a +11 during the second half. Lindsay had 11 points, tying Alexis for the most from a Hoosier over the final 20 minutes of the contest.
“They came in and took advantage of it,” DeVries said after the game. “I thought the game really flipped with their energy.”
In a whistle-heavy game, Indiana posted a ridiculous free-throw rate of 65 percent. But the Hoosiers shot just 62.2 percent from the line (23-of-37). However, down the stretch they found some rhythm to help close it out, making 9-of-11 from the line over the final 7:48 of the contest. The late makes were a key reason they left Evansville with the victory.
This certainly wasn’t a great performance from the Hoosiers. Still, it’s encouraging to see DeVries had another card to play with his bench. It’s a decision that ultimately paid off and showed Indiana, so far, can find other ways to win this season.
