Indiana Basketball Falls To Iowa: 3 Takeaways

Indiana basketball lost to Iowa in Iowa City 85-60. Read more for 3 takeaways.

It was rough for the Indiana basketball squad on Saturday night as they fell to a conference opponent for the second time this season. The Hoosiers went into the half down by ten with a score of 43-33. However, after the second half started, Iowa didn’t take long to pull away for a 25-point win over Indiana. Read more for 3 takeaways.

Takeaway #1: Indiana can’t get back from a slow start

Even though the Hoosiers opened up the scoring in the game against Iowa, they didn’t stay ahead of the Hawkeyes for long. With about twelve minutes left in the first half, Indiana trailed 21-8, and for the rest of the first half, it was a game of catchup. They did manage to go on a run, bringing the score to 30-28 Iowa with about four minutes left before halftime. However, they couldn’t keep it close for long as they went into the second half down by ten with a score of 43-33.

It’s interesting to look at the numbers when Indiana brought the score closer together because the players coming off the bench were the ones to help bring it there. It started with Langdon Hatton’s two made free throws and then an assist to Myles Rice for a successful 3-point shot. Later, Bryson Tucker made a jumper, two defensive rebounds, and a dunk to help bring up the score. Also along the way was a Kanaan Carlyle three-point shot assisted by Anthony Leal.

This is not the first time Indiana has shown how difficult it is to bounce back from a slow start this season. Furthermore, the game against Iowa showed that it is hard for them to hold it together when the score is close. This will undoubtedly be an issue in the rest of the conference play and the postseason.

Takeaway #2: Turnovers: the story of the game

It was clear from the start of the game that the Hoosiers had a major turnover problem. With Mackenzie Mgbako starting the team off in turnovers, it just continued from there. Both Oumar Ballo and Trey Galloway gave the ball away 4 times. Rice was one short of this with 3 turnovers. When looking at the impact of this pattern, 17 of Iowa’s 43 points at halftime resulted from Indiana giving them the ball. After halftime, it seemed almost impossible to recover. After coming off a solid streak of Big Ten play, this performance was unfortunate and hurt them greatly during this game. Ballo, who was also on a solid streak of his own as he had at least 23 points for 3 continuous games, made his turnovers early in the game, which also seemed to have deflated the team as a whole. They have certainly been relying on his energy recently.

Takeaway #3: Iowa’s offensive road to victory

The offensive that came from the Hawkeyes definitely pleased their fans. To reach a total of 85 points, their key scorers included Payton Sandfort, Owen Freeman, and Brock Harding. Impressively, 21 of Sandfort’s 23 points were scored in the second half. Four of these were 3-pointers. He closed the game out on fire. Also noteworthy were the sophomores Freeman and Harding, who both contributed double-doubles to help secure the victory.

Not only did these players shine for Iowa, but Drew Thelwell and Josh Dix also came through for the Hawkeyes, scoring 12 each. Each player in their starting lineup reached double digits. Compared to the Hoosiers, only two players, Rice and Mgbako, hit this mark. At the end of the day, you can’t win if you can’t score. While Indiana definitely lacked in this area, it seemed as if Iowa did the exact opposite.

Next up for Indiana (13-4, 4-2): vs. Illinois (12-4, 4-2) – Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. EST

Next up for Iowa (12-4, 3-2): at USC (10-6, 2-3) – Jan. 14 at 9:30 p.m. CST