Hoosiers look to end conference road woes at Michigan

The Hoosiers plan to accomplish two things when they head to Ann Arbor, Mich., this Sunday: win back-to-back conference games for the first time this season and complete a season sweep of the Wolverines.

Indiana has not played well on the road, failing to win a conference game away from Assembly Hall since Dec. 6 against Michigan State. Since then, the Hoosiers have gone 0-3 in road conference games.

Getting a win against the Wolverines was a struggle when the two teams met a week ago at Assembly Hall. After leading throughout most of the game, the Hoosiers gave the Wolverines chance after chance to get the game in their control. A missed layup at the buzzer by Michigan center Krista Phillips was all that separated the Hoosiers’ win in overtime. 

In order to beat Michigan for the second time this season, IU might have to maintain its focus throughout the entire game, not just the first half. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, a poor second half has become a trend in recent weeks. 

“We can’t let the game get out of hand in the second half, between the 18- to 12-minute mark,” IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack said.

But maintaining control over the game won’t be the only factor necessary for the Hoosiers to come out victorious. 

Road games have been problematic, conference-wide, for the Big Ten this season. Road teams are 10-29, and five Big Ten teams are undefeated at home. Michigan, however, has a 1-1 record at home, leaving them in 10th place in the Big Ten.

But one thing that might help propel the Hoosiers to a victory is their defense. While the Hoosiers have the 49th highest field goal percentage defense in the NCAA, they will get some help from the 15.8 turnovers that the Wolverines average per game. Michigan’s turnover margin ranks them 98th in the NCAA.

In their previous matchup, the Hoosiers were able to dominate the Wolverines from the arc, particularly during the first half, as they shot nearly 46 percent from the 3-point line. 

“We love our offense, and we know that we can score,” Legette-Jack said. “But we’ve got to be able to compete when we can’t score.”