Indiana basketball dropped another game at the hands of Michigan on Saturday.
It was looking like another blowout game against the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall. However, Indiana fought and nearly defeated the ranked Wolverines. The final score was 70-67.
Takeaway #1: Indiana was missing too many shots
Indiana basketball didn’t have a great start to the game, to say the least. It seemed that the Hoosiers were missing shot after shot, which was disappointing—especially considering the packed home crowd at Assembly Hall. Their 35.3% shooting in the first half set them behind greatly. At one point, they trailed by 18 points. They would have gone into half down 18 if it were not for Trey Galloways’s jumper with 49 seconds left in the first.
Two key players, Oumar Ballo and Myles Rice, were nowhere to be found on the court. Ballo only came up with six points and four rebounds in his 20 minutes of play. He was taken out of the second half 90 seconds after a few mistakes. Rice only touched the court during the first half of the game. He found success with one of his six shots. These two are lucky that other players could step up in their places. Otherwise, they may have been looking towards another double-digit disappointment like their previous game against Wisconsin.
Takeaway #2: Complete second-half switch-up.
Down 16 at the half, the Hoosiers completely turned their performance around in the second. They brought the offense, defense, and undoubtedly the energy back into Assembly Hall. From the start of the second half to the game’s final seconds, Indiana put up a fight- a fight in which it seemed the Wolverines weren’t expecting.
The Hoosiers opened with an 8-0 run early in the second half, getting them to 40 points. With a banger from downtown, Galloway started the scoring in the second half.
The key to this turnaround? Mackenzie Mgbako. The forward was clearly struggling during the first half. He went into halftime with zero points. To finish the game, he nearly led the team in scoring, putting 15 on the board. 13 of these points were scored in the first 10:30 of the half. His energy was exhilarating.
Along with Mgbako, Malik Reneau and Anthony Leal performed solidly against the Wolverines. Reneau scored 16 points, and Leal scored 12. For the final buzzer shot of the game, Leal made a 3-pointer from behind half-court.
Not only was the offense supreme in the 2nd, but the defense also picked it up, leaving the Wolverines out in the cold. The Hoosiers also forced 12 Wolverine turnovers.
With 9:30 left in the game, Michigan only found itself winning by one point. After a few minutes, a 7-0 Hoosiers run tied the score. It ultimately wasn’t enough to be victorious against Michigan, but it shows that Indiana still at least has the capability of putting up a fight.
Takeaway #3: Trey Donaldson and his first-half dominance
Trey Donaldson was on fire to start the game. He gave the Wolverines energy as he sunk two three-pointers. He was also able to charge the basket confidently. He contributed 18 points overall. He showed his versatility as he also set the players up for success. He averages about 13 points per game but went into the half with 14. He was a catalyst for Michigan.
While he wasn’t necessarily able to hold this momentum during the second half, he was a key part of why the Wolverines took such an early lead. He needs to be able to lead through the entirety of the game if he wants to serve as a genuine threat to other teams. This is true now, especially since the Wolverines will play Purdue as their next competition.
Indiana basketball is now on a five-game losing streak and has only won seven of their past eight. When looking at ranked opponents, Indiana has fallen to 12 straight. Head coach Mike Woodson only recently announced that he is stepping down from his position after the season, so that leaves the Hoosiers in a tough and interesting spot for the remainder of this season.
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Next up for Indiana basketball (14-10, 5-8): at Michigan State (19-4, 10-2) – Feb. 11 at 9 p.m. EST
Next up for Michigan basketball (18-5, 10-2): vs. Purdue (19-5, 11-2) – Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. EST