With less than a second to go in the first half of Friday night’s game, Indiana men’s basketball’s junior forward Malik Reneau’s free throw clanked off the bright orange of the elevated rim in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The missed shot from the charity stripe capped off an uninspiring first half, as the Hoosiers headed to the locker room with a 39-36 lead over Miami University.
Despite entering as 19-point favorites, Indiana head coach Mike Woodson’s team entered the break with a 3-point advantage, fitting for a defense which allowed the RedHawks to score seven 3-pointers prior to the half.
“We had, I think, four turnovers coming down the stretch of that first half that gave them the opportunity to get back into the game,” Woodson said postgame. “We controlled it early, but we let it slip away.”
It wasn’t the first time Indiana started slow against a lesser opponent this season. On Nov. 10, the Hoosiers trailed Eastern Illinois University 37-36 at halftime, but held the Cougars to 17 points in the second half and proceeded to win 90-55.
Allowing 17 points in one half of a college basketball game is a recipe for success. Allowing 21 points isn’t too shabby either, and that’s what Indiana did. A stifling Hoosier defense clamped down on the RedHawks shooters out of the intermission, who shot a combined 7 for 30 in the second half.
“I'll take it, I'll take that all day long,” Woodson said. “I know if we do that, we'll put ourselves in position to win basketball games.”
That’s exactly what the Hoosiers did, overcoming their sluggish start to earn a decisive 76-57 victory over Miami.
Offensively, sixth-year center Oumar Ballo produced his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 18 rebounds, in addition to a team-high six assists. Although Ballo will garner attention in headlines for his stat-stuffing display, Indiana’s offensive success came from a balanced attack.
The only starter that failed to reach double-digit scoring was sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako, who finished with a season-low 4 points.
“He had a tough night,” Woodson said. “We'll start back on the practice floor tomorrow, get him back going, get him ready for Monday.”
Monday marks the start of conference play for an Indiana team looking to improve from its sixth-place finish in the standings last season. With the win, the Hoosiers will head into their opener against Minnesota holding a 7-2 record, but veteran players such as fifth-year senior Trey Galloway understand the importance of playing a full 40 minutes.
“The Big Ten is real,” Galloway said. “Anybody can win on any given night. You got to be prepared and practice with urgency and with a purpose.”
As Indiana's competition increases, so does the importance of playing consistent basketball.
The Hoosiers had nine turnovers and allowed six offensive rebounds in the first half against the RedHawks. Production from the supporting cast was minimal as well, as a 3-pointer from senior forward Luke Goode was the sum of the Hoosiers bench points before halftime.
“We shouldn't go into halftime only up three,” Galloway said. “We got to find ways to fix that. Obviously we're a better team than that.”
Turnovers have especially plagued Indiana this season, as it’s 13.8 per game entering Friday’s contest ranked 285th in Division I. Miami scored 20 of its 57 points off turnovers, which derailed the Hoosiers’ offense and kept the game close until midway through the second half.
It will likely be a taller task to overcome those same mistakes against Big Ten opponents.
Indiana’s victory over the RedHawks came on the heels of a dominant second half. That’s the caliber of play the Hoosiers will strive to achieve on a consistent basis when the Golden Gophers roll into Bloomington on Monday night.
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.
