Junior guard Josh Newkirk single handedly tried to exorcise IU’s demons at the Kohl Center.
Coming into Sunday’s game against Wisconsin, IU had not won at Wisconsin since 1998, and with a strong second half performance, it seemed apparent that Newkirk was determined to end that streak himself.
Despite scoring a game-high 22 points and leading several near-comebacks, Newkirk could not help IU get past Wisconsin as the Badgers edged out the Hoosiers, 65-60.
Down the stretch, the Hoosiers simply made too many mistakes, according to Coach Tom Crean. He said his team's margin for error is not particulary high right now.
“You don’t have to be perfect, there’s no such thing," Crean said in his post-game radio interview on WHCC 105.1 FM. "You don’t have to be perfect against Wisconsin or perfect against anybody, but you do have to continue to understand where you’re at, time and score. Plays at the end get over-magnified because of the timing.”
After losing junior guard James Blackmon Jr. due to an injury for the past three games, IU has needed a guard to step up in the place of its leading scorer.
Newkirk has stepped into that role.
Against Penn State, Newkirk had a career-high 27 points. He continued that hot streak Sunday by shooting seven of 15 from the field. His 3-point shooting continues to be on the rise as he went four of six from beyond the arc. Many of those shots were with the game in the balance.
“I thought he shot the 3 better once he wasn’t looking for it as much early on,” Crean said in his post-game radio interview. “I thought he was settling early on rather than getting down-hill. We don’t have a lot of down-hill guys."
IU’s offense struggled to start the game. The Hoosiers opened with six missed shots and five of them from 3-point range. Even though IU’s offense had another slow start, Wisconsin was not able to jump out to a substantial lead until an 8-0 run with slightly more than eight minutes left in the first half put Wisconsin up 12.
IU punched back after that Wisconsin run with a 14-2 run capped by a thunderous dunk by sophomore forward Thomas Bryant that brought IU back within two points. IU’s defense locked down on Wisconsin late in the first half and the Hoosiers used a stretch of one of nine shooting from the field by the Badgers to climb back into the game.
Newkirk kept IU afloat and within striking distance of the Badgers after halftime. He played all 20 minutes in the second half and scored 17 points.
At one point, IU made six out of eight baskets to pull within four points, but the Hoosiers weren’t able to make enough plays down the stretch to get any closer.
“When it was at five, we needed a better shot,” Crean said. “We don’t need a three on the wing. We just need to go inside, and I was calling a set to go inside.”
Down the stretch, Wisconsin went seven of nine to close the game out.
“We’ve got to regroup from this and get ready to go home for just an incredible battle with Purdue,” Crean said.
