Halfway through the second half, junior guard Rob Phinisee sized up his defender before exploding from his spot, driving down the lane. As the defense collapsed on him, he flung a cross-court pass to a wide-open senior guard Al Durham set up in the right corner. Durham confidently rose up and drained the 3-pointer.
As the senior guard jogged back on defense while performing a small archer celebration, he met a laughing Phinisee with an outstretched arm waiting for a high-five. For the first time in nearly two weeks, it appeared IU’s two veteran guards were having fun again en route toward its 87-85 win over Penn State.
In IU’s first two Big Ten games against Northwestern and Illinois, both Durham and Phinisee struggled to produce at their usual high level. In the Hoosiers’ Big Ten opener against the Wildcats on Dec. 23, the two combined for just six points and four assists. Against Illinois, they combined for 13 points on six-of-17 shooting and had only four assists.
After the Illinois game, IU head coach Archie Miller said in his postgame press conference that both Durham and Phinisee needed to step up as veteran guards for IU. Miller again brought up their struggles Monday during his radio show, saying that Phinisee and Durham had to get going and they both were not playing their best at the moment.
Against Penn State, the two upperclassmen responded.
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Versus the Nittany Lions, Phinisee scored in double figures for the first time since Nov. 30 against Providence College, finishing with 11 points on five-for-nine shooting, including the game-winner with 13 seconds remaining. Durham finished with 18 points and a team-high four 3-pointers while shooting 50% from the field.
“Al Durham and Rob Phinisee tonight, both kids played their butts off for us,” Miller said. “Big difference in our team when our older guys, our guys with the most experience, are playing with confidence like they did tonight.”
On offense, it was Durham who was the catalyst for the Hoosiers, spreading the court with his perimeter shooting. Whenever IU needed to jumpstart its offense as it tried to create separation from Penn State in the second half, Durham was often the one rising up and hitting the big shot.
While seeing Durham play with confidence and being fully engaged on the court and a vocal leader, Miller said he’s a calming presence for the rest of the team and that his leadership will go a long way in the team’s long term success.
Beside him at the other guard position, Phinisee returned to his role as IU’s anchor on both ends of the court.
“Rob is sort of the pulse of our team in a way,” Miller said. “He’s a tone-setter. He’s the type of guy that can get you off to a really good start. In general, I think it’s a big key to our season how he plays.”
As a freshman, he quickly proved to be one of the best on-ball defenders in the Big Ten and with the emergence of sophomore Armaan Franklin, the Hoosiers showed how suffocating its backcourt could be against the Nittany Lions. Phinisee recorded three blocks and swiped a steal in the game, while also being the primary defender on Penn State’s final shot at the buzzer to secure the win.
On offense, Phinisee was steady — exactly what Miller is looking for out of his point guard.
His 11 points and one assist aren’t eye-popping statistics in the box score, but unlike the first two Big Ten games, he was never out of control. He was able to run the offense efficiently and create chances for his teammates with his dribble penetration and ability to get to the rim.
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When IU’s final possession broke down as Penn State jumped the play, cutting off the curling Franklin, Phinisee was able to be that steadying force for IU, calmly spinning to knock down the game-winning jumper from the free-throw line.
“Rob didn’t panic, he kept it and squared the guy up,” Miller said. “To his credit, Rob’s been known to make a couple big ones.”
