In an intense nail-biter, Indiana basketball was victorious against Ohio State with a 77-76 final in overtime. What was louder: the noise from the crowd or the dunks from numerous players on the court?
The rally between the two teams was a pattern throughout the whole game. Both teams were desperate for a win. Indiana had just come off of two embarrassing games, Iowa and Illinois. Before the game, Ohio State found themselves sitting 2-4 in the Big Ten. It was not a surprise that this would be an adrenaline-filled game, and the one-point margin of victory proved this.Â
Takeaway #1: Ballo and Goode were the keys to success
Center Oumar Ballo has undoubtedly made a name for himself at Indiana. The Arizona transfer recorded his fifth double-double in six games. He had a stellar 21-point performance and brought down 15 rebounds. Along with this, he has two blocks and a steal. The Buckeyes couldn’t contain Ballo, and he took advantage of this. Ever since he came back from being benched against Winthrop, he has been unstoppable- even with the team facing mortifying losses during their last two games. He must maintain this consistency, as Indiana hasn’t found their overall identity.Â
IForward Luke Goode dominated offensively as he shot his new career-high 23 points against Ohio State. From the field, Goode shot 7-14 and 4-7 from downtown. Goode has certainly found his confidence ever since he joined the starting lineup against Winthrop on Dec. 29. While Indiana is known to not be a 3-point shooting team, Goode always manages to put them up. Not only does he shoot from outside the arc, but he does so at crucial points, increasing the team’s energy as the ball passes through the rim. Goode has a 46.3% success rate throughout eight conference games with 3-pointers (19-41).Â
Takeaway #2: New lineup? No problem
With guard Myles Rice playing limited minutes due to early foul trouble, Kanaan Carlyle’s minutes significantly increased. The Stanford transfer played 36 minutes vs OSU, scoring 13 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and assisted once. What made his performance so special was also the excitement brought to the game by his “and one’s.” Head coach Mike Woodson should be excited about Carlyle’s showing as it shows Indiana’s depth. This was only his third game with double-digit points this season. However, this game looks like a step in the right direction for more opportunities.Â
The starting lineup changed slightly as Trey Galloway’s starting spot was given to Anthony Leal in Columbus. Not only was this his first start of the season, but also only his third career start. Considering how disastrous the past two games have been, something had to change. When looking at Leal’s numbers against OSU, they weren’t super pretty. However, his leadership as a fifth-year player has brought the team together. He has not been named an official continuous starter for the Hoosiers; however, he could be further in the season.Â
New on the injury report is freshman Bryson Tucker. His exact reason for absence remains unclear. He joins leading scorer Malik Reneau, who has suffered a right knee injury since the opening minutes of play against Rutgers on Jan. 2.
Takeaway #3: Royal and Johnson out for Ohio State
Devin Royal and Meechie Johnson are essential players for the Buckeyes. Royal is Ohio State’s sophomore power forward, second-leading scorer, and leading rebounder. There is no question that his absence hurt the team. Averaging 13.8 points per game, Royal’s wrist sprain injury prevented him from playing against the Hoosiers. With Royal out, Ballo was able to stand out even more, as it was evident that the Buckeyes couldn’t keep him locked down.Â
Johnson wasn’t on the court as he is on a leave of absence for personal reasons. This marks his eighth consecutive game missed. He was averaging 9.1 points per game; however, he is addressing personal matters at this time. It is unknown when he will return to the court.Â
 Up next for Indiana basketball (14-5, 5-3): at Northwestern (11-7, 2-5) – Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. EST
Up next for Ohio State basketball (10-8, 2-5):Â at No. 11 Purdue (15-4, 7-1) – Jan. 21 at 7:30 p.m. EST
[…] battled for the entire game. It truly was a nail-biter, as Indiana won in overtime with just a one-point margin of victory (77-76). Both teams were desperate for a win, as they were on a losing streak. Throughout the game, the lead […]
[…] a step back, the Hoosiers are 5-4 in Big Ten wins. However, they recently defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes only by a one-point margin (77-76). Before this, they were embarrassed by both Iowa and Illinois. […]