EVANSTON, Ill. — Mackenzie Mgbako kissed his right hand and pointed to the ceiling. As fate had it, Mgbako’s 3-pointer proved to be the kiss of death.
Indiana men’s basketball’s sophomore forward nailed a 3-pointer with just under 18 minutes remaining in the second half, giving the Hoosiers a 36-29 lead, their largest of the game.
Then, everything flipped. Northwestern started burying triples — and digging Indiana’s grave in the process.
The Hoosiers (14-6, 5-4 Big Ten) gave up 54 points in the second half en route to a 79-70 loss to the Wildcats (12-7, 3-5 Big Ten) on Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois. The defeat pushed Indiana to 0-5 against Northwestern during head coach Mike Woodson’s four-year tenure.
Indiana led 35-29 at halftime, entering the locker room on an 18-2 run over the final nine minutes. Northwestern missed its final 12 field goals, capping what Woodson later dubbed “a hell of a defensive half.”
The Wildcats, who shot only 30.8% from the field and went 4 for 13 from 3-point range in the first half, had their highest-scoring second half of the season. Northwestern shot 62.5% from the floor and made 9 of 14 triples over the final 20 minutes.
With each make, Northwestern graduate student guard Ty Berry said the basket grew bigger and bigger — and Indiana’s on-court communication fell quieter and quieter.
“Our communication from a defensive standpoint was lost the second half,” Woodson said postgame. “Our switches, we weren't together on switches where we were connected the first half. They made us pay for it. We can't go on droughts like that where we don't do what got us the lead.”
Mgbako, who broke out of a four-game slump with a team-leading 20 points, echoed similar thoughts.
“I felt like the communication was a little bit lost toward the second half,” Mgbako said postgame. “We weren’t getting to our spots — they picked up the ball and spread it out, we were supposed to be with our man. I fell victim to that. So just being able to stay locked in, stay focused for a full 40 minutes and not let the game get away from us.”
Northwestern senior guard Brooks Barnhizer scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half, while graduate student guard Jalen Leach totaled all his 15 points after halftime. Leach went 5 for 7 from the field and made each of his three 3-point attempts.
Only four Wildcats scored in the second half. In addition to Barnhizer and Leach, Berry made four 3-pointers to comprise his 12 points, and junior forward Nick Martinelli scored 11 points. Berry, who entered Wednesday averaging just 7.7 points per game, matched a season-high with 23 points overall.
Woodson said Indiana knew Northwestern is capable of scoring at a high level, which the Wildcats proved in the second half. It’s why Woodson felt Indiana played a “beautiful” first half — and perhaps why the Hoosiers’ second-half defensive collapse may sting more than usual.
“Same things they ran the first half, I thought we defended it well,” Woodson said. “In the second half, we just gave up too many opportunities. And they made us pay.”
Indiana allowed 13 triples, the most it’s given up this season. The Hoosiers have now allowed at least 50 points in a half twice in three games, dating back to Illinois’ 60-point first-half outburst Jan. 14.
Woodson cited Indiana’s inability to guard Northwestern’s floppy action — an offensive set where shooters start in the paint, run around a screen and take catch-and-shoot 3-pointers from the wing — as a particularly frustrating aspect of the Hoosiers’ defensive performance.
Indiana, which fell by at least 16 points in each of its first five losses, responded to several runs Wednesday night. The Hoosiers couldn’t survive one more.
Trailing 54-52 at the under-eight timeout, Indiana had its sight set on a win in Evanston. Then, the Wildcats threw a haymaker. Martinelli made a layup, and Leach connected on back-to-back triples.
Just over two minutes of game action later, Woodson had to call timeout. Driven by a 13-0 run, the Wildcats led 62-52. Indiana fought back, but its deficit was too much to overcome.
“We just didn’t answer the bell coming back out of that timeout, and they did,” Woodson said. “I mean, we just didn’t — the same things that they ran the (first half), we didn’t guard well the second half, and they made us pay for it, especially from the 3-point area. They made 3-point shots all over the floor, and we never responded.”
Indiana held opponents to no more than eight 3-pointers in 12 of its first 19 games. Northwestern made nine in the second half alone.
The Hoosiers fought. They trailed by 14 points with two and a half minutes remaining but cut their deficit to 4 points with 44 seconds left. They still fell short.
And ultimately, as one Northwestern punch followed another, Indiana ran out of counters.
“We let it get away the second half,” Woodson said. “You have to give them credit — they played their butts off in the second half, and we didn't.”
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.
