INDIANAPOLIS – Malik Reneau raised his left arm and beat his chest not once, not twice, but three times before high-fiving a fan courtside.
Indiana’s sophomore forward had just scored an and-one with 11:54 to play in the second half, giving the Hoosiers a 65-54 lead over Harvard University in Sunday evening’s game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Indiana (5-1) rode this energy the rest of the way and will head back to Bloomington with an 89-76 victory over Harvard (5-2) before starting Big Ten play Friday night against Maryland.
The Hoosiers matched their season high with 89 points, last achieved Nov. 16 against Wright State University, and scored 50 points in the second half. Harvard entered Sunday allowing only 66.7 points per game.
The most points the Crimson had given up this season was 75, coming Nov. 17 against the University of Massachusetts. Indiana surpassed that mark when Reneau hit a running jumper in the lane with 5:06 to play in the second half.
Perhaps the most impressive point about Indiana’s offensive performance? It happened with little help from the guards.
Senior captains Trey Galloway and Xavier Johnson combined for only 7 points. Reserves Gabe Cupps and C.J. Gunn added 2 points apiece. Senior Anthony Leal didn’t score – or even attempt a shot – in six minutes.
All told, the Hoosiers received just 11 total points from their guards on 4-of-15 shooting.
Johnson missed the entire second half due to a nagging ankle injury that Indiana head coach Mike Woodson didn’t have an update on after the game, but he scored just 3 points in his 13 first-half minutes.
Galloway had a difficult shooting day, going 2-of-9 from the field and 0-of-4 from behind the arc. He was effective as a distributor, handing out five assists with no turnovers, but Indiana needs him to score – and he’s failed to eclipse 5 points in half of the Hoosiers’ games thus far.
It’s been two weeks since Cupps last made a field goal. His four-game drought featured three consecutive scoreless contests and he was trending towards a fourth before knocking down two free throws with 1:20 to play in the second half Sunday. Like Galloway, he had no turnovers alongside three assists.
Woodson is optimistic Gunn can become a consistent scorer off the bench, but he played a season-low three minutes. Leal helped Indiana outscore Harvard 14-10 in his time on the court and energized the crowd but hasn’t been a part of the rotation all season.
So, how’d the Hoosiers explode offensively in spite of this forgettable showing from the guards?
The trio of Reneau, sophomore center Kel’el Ware and freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako toted the load for Indiana, combining for 63 points.
Ware led the way with 28 on 12-of-13 shooting; he made his lone 3-point attempt, went 3-of-5 from the free throw line and pulled down eight rebounds, four offensive.
Woodson said after the game Reneau, who had five assists, played a key part in Ware’s successful outing, and the latter’s effort matched what Woodson expects to see each game.
“He made some shots that were created basically from Malik,” Woodson said. “Malik fed him a few times, he got a few offensive putbacks, hit a couple turnaround jump shots, made some free throws. He’s capable of doing that, we’ve just got to keep him in a good place and playing hard.”
Reneau continued his strong play after earning All-Tournament honors at the Empire Classic Nov. 19-20, posting 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
Mgbako had his most productive collegiate game, going 7-of-13 from the floor while setting career highs with 18 points and eight rebounds. While Mgbako, who entered the game shooting only 7.7% on 3-pointers, continued struggling from outside by making just 1-of-5 attempts, his better scoring output created more opportunities for the rest of Indiana’s offense.
“It helps the whole team,” Ware said. “It helps open up the floor more. The defenders have to get out there to the 3-ball, especially when we’ve got guys who can make the shots. As long as we’re playing hard, I feel like we’re going to be good.”
As a team, Indiana’s struggled shooting from distance this season. It still hasn’t made more than four 3-pointers in a game and went only 4-of-16 against Harvard.
The Hoosiers’ guards were a combined 0-of-5, with Galloway and Cupps the lone two who attempted such shots. Galloway was Indiana’s best 3-point shooter last year at 46.2% but is hitting at a 16.7% clip this season.
And still, Indiana’s scoring output statistically resembled that of the NBA outfit Woodson said he hopes to see.
“We didn’t shoot the 3-ball again that well tonight and still put 89 points on the board,” Woodson said. “We shoot them every day, and they’ve just got to feel comfortable when they’re letting it go that it’s going to go in. They can’t hope it’s going to go in, they’ve got to make it go in.”
Indiana remains a work in progress. Woodson could only shake his head when Mgbako forced a turnaround jumper halfway through the first half, which came right after a made 3-pointer – a fitting juxtaposition of the growing pains Mgbako’s currently navigating.
But the bigger concern comes with guard play, an issue that only grows if Indiana loses Johnson to his ankle injury for an extended period. Backcourts are often the engine that make teams go in March, and while the Hoosiers are surely focused on the present, it’s difficult to not think about how limited this team’s long-term ceiling becomes without better efforts from the guards.
Indiana’s offense was good Sunday – but it has a chance to be much better as the season unfolds.
Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
