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Thoughts on an 80-73 double OT loss to the Badgers:
Indiana, playing without their top perimeter scorer at Armaan Franklin, gave Wisconsin absolutely everything they could handle tonight in Madison. This game was here to be played. At the end of the settlement, Trayce Jackson-Davis took a good look at the left side of the rim that could have been the winner of the match, but he didn’t drop. And in first overtime, Indiana had the ball seven seconds to go and the game was tied, only for Al Durham Jr. to lose possession in a jump ball with Brad Davison, who ultimately scored the game in. a second extension.
From there, in a game that had been so close, with neither team leading by more than three points in the final five minutes of regulation and first overtime, Wisconsin was able to break it by two points to 3. Tyler Wahl points. This sank the Hoosiers for good.
Things looked shaky as the Hoosiers went down 23-11 with 6:48 left in the first half. But Indiana ended the half on a 13-6 run to drop a respectable five points (29-24) at the break. Anthony Leal, in his best game as a Hoosier, reversed two runs to 3 points in that streak to strengthen the Hoosiers. Despite all of their offensive problems to start this one, Indiana gave Wisconsin some defensive problems. He had a top 10 offense nationally at 0.94 points per possession and seemed to take the Badgers out of their comfort zone on their swing attack with plenty of changes.
Indiana really changed things offensively in the second half – which seems to be a theme at this point in the season – by finding Trayce Jackson-Davis in space. As we’ve seen so often this season, Jackson-Davis was unstoppable for a period in the second half and the Badgers had no response. The Center Grove product scored 16 points on 7 out of 10 shots in the second half. Indiana were also able to secure contributions from their upper class guards once again, as Al Durham and Rob Phinisee both scored seven points in the second half. Jerome Hunter contributed five of his own, including a massive dunk with 41 seconds left to put the Hoosiers 61-59.
But D’mitrik Trice (21 points) managed to get a bucket at the other end to tie him up, one of the many tough and key shots he hit for Wisconsin when it counted, and we know how. it happened from there. Hats off to Trice this evening. Big buckets were his thing.
It is a loss that stings. But it was a great, bold performance by the Hoosiers against one of the best teams in the country – and perhaps the best team in the Big Ten. It was there to be had. It just didn’t happen. There are plenty of other challenges to face against teams close to Wisconsin level – Michigan, Iowa, Illinois once again. If the Hoosiers can elevate their game to this level and do it consistently, they are bound to have something to fight their way against a better team during this grueling season in the Big Ten.
Filed at: Wisconsin Badgers
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