As sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle launched a pass from half-court, Indiana men’s basketball fans collectively held their breath.
Originally intended as an entry pass to sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako in the paint, the ball floated for many tense moments. As it continued to travel, Hoosier fans realized it was far out of the reach of Mgbako.
But just as that realization hit, the net rippled as the would-be turnover cashed in for a 3-point basket.
Carlyle stood still, scratching the back of his head while wearing a sheepish look on his face. Sophomore guard Gabe Cupps rose from the bench, his hands on his head and mouth agape. Multiple Hoosiers surrounded Carlyle, surprised by the outcome but congratulating the Atlanta native.
The shot epitomized Indiana’s performance, one where it seemed like nothing could go wrong. And on Saturday afternoon inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, very little did, as the Hoosiers largely cruised to an 87-71 victory over the University of South Carolina.
This matchup between Indiana and South Carolina had been circled as the Hoosiers’ top nonconference bout since it was announced in late May. Even with a 74-71 loss to the University of North Florida on Nov. 4, the Gamecocks provided the Hoosiers with an early test against a Power 4 Conference opponent.
Indiana passed that test masterfully.
After a lethargic first-half performance against Eastern Illinois University a week ago, a blistering response was paramount for Indiana. The Hoosiers did just that, overcoming a 4-0 deficit with a 7-0 run and later earning an 18-11 lead at the under 12-minute media timeout.
Last week required adjustments to a bad first-half performance. Saturday required adjustments to a great first-half performance.
“They knew coming into tonight's game that they had to be better,” head coach Mike Woodson said postgame. “I thought they responded.”
The bar has been set for how to open a game, whether it be against the University of North Carolina Greensboro on Nov. 21 or Purdue on Jan. 31. Now the challenge is how Indiana can replicate it.
Shooting clips of 16 for 31 from the field, 5 for 9 from behind the arc and 6 for 8 from the free throw line contributed to the first half effort. So did 17 points from Myles Rice and only three team turnovers.
The only blemish of that first frame was South Carolina’s seven 3-pointers, which kept Indiana’s advantage at 11 entering the break. Besides their outside shooting, the Gamecocks only scored 9 points in the half.
As has been the case this season, the Hoosiers adjusted, allowing only one 3-point basket in the second half.
“We cleaned it up a little bit,” Woodson said about the perimeter defense. “I thought the first half we were awful in guarding the three-point line and they made us pay for it.”
Despite the rough perimeter defense, Indiana performed exceptionally inside the arc. Entering Saturday, South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Broyles averaged 21 points on 63.9% field goal percentage, but a controlled defensive effort against the sophomore held him to 2 points on 1 for 4 shooting.
“I thought we did a great job on him,” Woodson said. “He struggled a little bit tonight. We needed that because he’s been on fire coming into this ballgame.”
Indiana’s first-half shooting continued to the second, as it finished with clips of 51% from the field, 47.1% from the perimeter and 81.8% from the line.
A season ago, the Hoosiers shot 66.4% from the charity stripe, which ranked 13 of 14 in the Big Ten. When South Carolina made a run with 5:32 left in the game to bring the Hoosiers’ lead to single digits, free-throws became Indiana’s immediate concern.
But in that final stretch, Indiana went 14 for 14 from the line, cementing the victory –– a literal perfect ending when the Hoosiers needed it most.
The win moves Indiana to 32nd in the KenPom rankings, a mark 41 spots better than last season at this time. There’s still a long way to go in the rest of the season, but after its first test of the year, it’s clear that Indiana passed it.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa) and columnist Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
