Anthony Leal stepped to the foul stripe with 12 seconds left.
Indiana held a 72-68 lead over Iowa. Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall fluctuated between loud and quiet, pending the free throws. After 10 words, quiet turned into eruption.
“Anthony Leal to the line to shoot two for Indiana” resonated through the rafters. Leal dribbled once and shot — and as he did time and again Tuesday night, sunk it.
In a fitting reward after four years of hard work with little to show, Leal had his shining moment. The senior guard who grew up in the shadows of Assembly Hall had the fans on their feet — and led his team to a much-needed victory.
Indiana (13-8, 5-5 Big Ten) snapped its three-game losing streak in exciting fashion, taking a 74-68 victory over Iowa (12-9, 4-6 Big Ten) and flipping the script on its late-game struggles Jan. 27 against Illinois.
As fate would have it, Leal pulled down the final two rebounds — his sixth and seventh of the night — before raising his right fist in an emphatic release of emotion.
Leal, in game No. 57 as a Hoosier, set career highs with 13 points and seven rebounds against the Hawkeyes. It’s the first time he’s hit double figures as a collegiate.
The 17,222 fans inside Assembly Hall saw that. They didn’t see the hard work that occurred while Leal, Indiana’s Mr. Basketball in 2020, played only 11 games as a junior in 2022-2023 and didn’t see the court in the first five games this year.
In an era where many athletes transfer when they don’t get playing time, Leal didn’t. He could’ve transferred after the coaching change from Archie Miller to Mike Woodson. He didn’t.
Why?
“Because I love this university and this school,” Leal said postgame. “So just being committed to that and understanding that this is a dream come true whether I'm playing one minute or 40 minutes. Just to be able to put on this jersey is kind of my mindset and just the love for IU.”
After his first 3-pointer fell with 9:08 to play in the first half, Leal smiled while jogging back to play defense. When he hit another triple some 63 seconds later, he let out a deafening, “Let’s go,” while senior guard Trey Galloway drilled his hands into Leal’s chest.
In his previous 20 appearances, dating back to Mar. 17, 2022, Leal made only two total 3-pointers. He matched it in just over a minute Tuesday night and knocked down another in the second half, tying his career high with three makes from downtown. It was his first time making multiple 3-pointers since Feb. 7, 2021.
Yet through it all, Leal stayed committed to Indiana — and his work paid off Tuesday, earning the game ball from Woodson.
“I thought he was huge,” Woodson said postgame. “He defended his ass off. It was a nice carry-over because I thought he played well in the Illinois game. That's why we elected him to come in early and play him, and he responded for us which was kind of nice.”
Woodson first noted Leal’s points and rebounds — as he should. But there was also the deflection with 1:45 to play, forcing Iowa to run a side-out-of-bounds play with 2.9 seconds on the shot clock. Iowa junior forward Payton Sandford connected, but Leal’s defensive play hadn’t gone unnoticed.
There’s also the pregame moment when Leal, leaning against a courtside chair while stretching, smiled for a picture with a young fan.
It’s not an act. It’s who Leal is — which is reflected both on and off the court and in and out of the public eye, reinforced time and again by his actions.
“Where I come from in the NBA, you call that a true pro,” Woodson said. “And Anthony is the ultimate teammate, man, in terms of just hanging in there with me. And I've coached him, and he's come to practice every day and has done what's asked of him and never complained, not once. He's been a true, true teammate.”
Leal played the game’s final 14:28. The Hoosiers led 44-40 when he entered and rode the rollercoaster of a second half that included six ties after his entrance.
When it came time to win — to snap the Hoosiers’ longest losing skid of the season — Woodson turned to Leal and had no hesitation doing so.
“Guys like that, it’s easy to coach — it's easy to throw them in the game and feel good about it because you know what you're going to get based on how he performs in practice,” Woodson said. “And he's earned the right to play, and that's why I'm playing him.”
After the final buzzer, Leal was hugged by Galloway. The two arrived at Indiana together. They’ve stuck through the trials and tribulations. Two kids from the Hoosier state, now making an impact on the team they grew up supporting.
“Me just putting this jersey on for practice, even, is more than a dream come true,” Leal said. “It's what I've wanted to do since I was first touching a basketball.”
Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
