Indiana men’s basketball’s season can be aptly described as a roller coaster, and Saturday afternoon it hit one of its low points. The Hoosiers suffered an 85-71 loss at home to Penn State and their glaring flaws at 3-point line were once again exposed.
The Nittany Lions shot 12-for-22 from beyond the arc compared to Indiana’s mark of 5-for-19 from deep — creating a 21-point discrepancy on long balls. The Hoosiers couldn’t prevent the red-hot Nittany Lions from connecting from deep, and once Indiana fell into a double-digit deficit — its lack of 3-point shooting and defensive strategy made it near-impossible to ever overcome the deficit.
“It’s hard to really get a flow on offense when you can’t get stops,” senior guard Trey Galloway said postgame. “If we don’t get stops, we’re not going to be able to flow on offense, and it’s going to be a spiral and an impact on our offense when we’re bad on defense.”
Indiana’s offensive flow wasn’t stale the entire game however, and its 4-point halftime lead is proof. Sophomore center Kel’el Ware led a dominant effort inside and a sprinkle of outside shooting helped open the floor. Ware scored 17 points in the first half, and the Hoosiers outscored the Nittany Lions 26-16 in the paint on the opening frame.
A 3-for-6 start from 3-point range aided Indiana’s early control. Including a make from Ware, the Hoosiers did just enough to create floor spacing for Ware and sophomore forward Malik Reneau to work inside without drawing several Nittany Lion defenders.
However, shooting woes haunted Indiana much like they have all season the rest of the game. The Hoosiers shot 2-for-13 from deep the rest of the contest and their entire offense struggled as a result.
The second half featured a stark contrast between offensive play style and personnel, and Penn State’s prevailed. The Nittany Lions shot 6-for-10 from deep in the second half compared to the Hoosiers’ 2-for-10 — although half of Indiana’s 3-point attempts were in the final three minutes.
Penn State’s halftime adjustments made a noticeable difference, suffocating Indiana’s offense and forcing poor shots and decision making. After shooting 57.1% in the first half, the Hoosiers’ efficiency plummeted to 37.5% in the latter frame.
“They just didn’t perform the second half,” head coach Mike Woodson said. “They were flat as hell.”
Without reliability from beyond the arc, Indiana looked helpless offensively — a common trend with its 3-point struggles this season.
Entering Saturday, Indiana ranked 344th of 351 Division I teams with 15.4 3-point attempts per game. The Hoosiers place heavy dependence on efficient inside scoring and solid defensive performances, but they’ve faltered in at least one category in their nine losses this season.
Indiana’s play style seems to be the driving factor, but its underperforming personnel has worsened the damage.
Galloway scorched the nets in his junior campaign with a 46.2% mark from long range but has dipped to 27.3% this season. Freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako was recruited with his shooting capabilities his strongest area, but he struggled early and only connects at a 32.3% clip.
In fact, of Indiana’s players who have attempted double digit 3-pointers, two of the three most efficient are its power forward and center — Ware and Reneau. The pair shoot 44.4% and 39.4%, respectively.
Indiana has struggled to find a sense of leadership and direction from its backcourt too, and opposing teams’ guards consistently outperform the Hoosiers. With the dip in production from Galloway, sixth-year senior guard Xavier Johnson’s injuries and inconsistencies and freshman guard Gabe Cupps’ lack of offensive contributions, Indiana rarely wins the battle of arguably the most important position in basketball.
Indiana likely needs an extensive win streak to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive, and perimeter shooting will play a big role. With difficult games like a rivalry matchup at No. 2 Purdue and a home game against No. 6 Wisconsin remaining on the schedule, the Hoosiers could require nearly flawless performances against both teams who have beaten them handily.
Next on the calendar is a road trip to Columbus, Ohio, to take on Ohio State on Feb. 6. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed on Peacock.
Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
