CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Sophomore guard Rob Phinisee's eyes widened in shock while lying on the ground and staring at the referee, who motioned that Illinois called a timeout. He looked around at the other officials and the IU bench before putting his hands on his head in disbelief.
At the very least, Phinisee was looking for a jump ball or a foul to send him to the free-throw line with a chance to tie the game. Instead, he saw another opportunity for a signature road win pass the Hoosiers by as they choked in a 67-66 loss.
The team played its best road game of the season and still couldn’t get it done.
This defeat feels different than most of the other 10 on the season. If anything, IU head coach Archie Miller and the players showed the same pain they felt after falling to Maryland at home Jan. 26.
Unlike so many of IU’s other road games, the team didn’t fail to perform. Instead, it failed to close.
“Wednesday, we didn’t execute at all,” Miller said. “Today we executed better, and I thought we got some better play out of guys.”
At a glance, the Hoosiers did everything they needed to secure the win, almost guaranteeing them a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament and being a certified lock for the NCAA Tournament. Now, the pressure of winning the final two home games of the season hangs over the team’s head.
IU had four players score in double-figures. The team only committed 10 turnovers and shot 50% from beyond the 3-point line. Most impressively, the Hoosiers outrebounded the Fighting Illini — who entered the game with the fifth-best rebounding margin in the country — by eight and grabbed 12 offensive boards.
The Hoosiers have done everything Miller has asked of them since being called out after being embarrassed by Michigan on the road. The team’s energy level hasn’t wavered, and it has fought hard in every game since.
“You have to have an attitude that, quite frankly, you just don’t give a shit about nothing,” Miller said. “You go into the game, and it’s about competing. It’s about playing as hard as you possibly can and finding a way in these environments to get it into the last 12, eight and four and then find a way to win.”
On one hand, it’s a confidence booster for IU to know it can compete against a competitive team on the road, but it also has to be demoralizing. What more can the Hoosiers do on the road to push them over the finish line?
IU desperately wants to prove that it is a team that demands respect on the road, but every time it has a chance to earn it, it can’t close the deal.
“Now we go home, and everything has to be erased from your memory,” Miller said. “You’re on to the next one, which in all reality is the last gasp of air — so to speak — on the regular season.”
