The Hoosier faithful have not shied away from expressing their displeasure inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall this season. As recently as halftime against then-No. 13 Purdue on Sunday, many fans booed Indiana men’s basketball off the court.
It happened against then-No. 24 Michigan, too. And Maryland. And Illinois.
But versus Penn State, the boos weren’t directed at the Hoosiers. In response, Indiana delivered the win.
Much of the Hoosier student section’s antics was aimed at Penn State's Ace Baldwin Jr., who responded with 22 points, five rebounds, five assists and six steals. But not even the graduate student guard’s top performance could stop Indiana’s late second-half push as the Hoosiers took the 83-78 win Wednesday night in Bloomington.
Indiana fans backed their team from the opening tip, providing a loud presence even though the Hoosiers faced a deficit for most of the first half. In the waning moments of the frame, sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo secured an offensive rebound and laid it in, sparking a cheer from the crowd as the Cream and Crimson ran to the locker room down 39-37.
The second half was no different. Even with a continuous deficit, the Hoosier faithful were loud, booing Baldwin Jr. on the defensive end and cheering for Indiana baskets on the other.
When Myles Rice nailed a 3-pointer in the corner with just under three minutes to go, the crowd erupted. And when the redshirt sophomore guard secured a fastbreak layup 13 seconds later, pushing Indiana’s advantage to 7 points, the noise was deafening.
Once the final buzzer sounded and the Hoosiers secured their third win in their last four tries, the fans let their appreciation be known with a loud ovation. With the memories of Michigan, Maryland and Illinois forgotten, a win was the best case-scenario for both players and fanbase alike.
“You know, at this point in the season every game is important, but this one is special because we know we're playing for something big,” Ballo said postgame. “And it was super fun to have our fans backing us up and keeping us in the game to the point that we took over. Anytime we get a home win, (it’s) super fun.”
With only three games remaining in the regular season, the Hoosiers have strung together momentum at exactly the right time.
Indiana moved to 17-11 overall and 8-9 in the Big Ten following the victory. But even more importantly, the Hoosiers firmly cemented their place in the NCAA Tournament conversations.
“These guys are playing for something,” head coach Mike Woodson said. “We're trying to get in the tournament.”
Entering Wednesday’s contest, Indiana was one of the "First Four Out" according to ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi. In the group of the "Last Four In" teams, Wake Forest University and the University of Oklahoma both fell Wednesday. The University of Texas at Austin, a team Lunardi placed in the "Last Four Byes" group, fell to the University of Arkansas on Wednesday as well.
The Hoosiers have a real opportunity to take their spots. However, work still needs to be done, starting with their upcoming West Coast trip.
First up is Washington on Saturday, the only team lower than Penn State in the Big Ten standings. Then comes Oregon on March 4, a squad just above Indiana in the conference standings serving as another Quad 1 opponent for the Hoosiers.
Indiana will round out its regular season with a home bout against Ohio State on March 8, one of the four teams in Lunardi’s "Last Four Byes" group. The Hoosiers defeated the Buckeyes in overtime Jan. 17 in Columbus, Ohio.
Four of Indiana’s last five games have been home contests. Now, traveling across the country for the first time since the Big Ten expansion, the Hoosiers face a true test that will ultimately decide their season.
Indiana won’t have much trouble with that test if its last four games reflect its future performances.
The Hoosiers traveled to East Lansing, Michigan, and defeated then-No. 11 Michigan State on Feb. 11, a squad which currently sits atop the Big Ten. Indiana followed the performance with a loss to UCLA on Feb. 14, a tight game that went down to the final shot, one which sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako failed to convert for the win.
Most recently, the Hoosiers defeated the Boilermakers, earning the convincing double-digit win thanks to a 48-21 second half scoreline. On Wednesday, they closed out a tough battle with Penn State, securing a victory despite leading for just over 10 minutes in the game.
However, regardless of its past performances, the Hoosier faithful will only be backing their team one last time this season inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. And for possibly the first time all season, both the fans and players are keyed in on one goal — winning.
“We have to take every game as important and we have to finish the season strong, not just for us but for the fans,” Ballo said. “And I feel like they deserve that, and we're pushing forward for that.”
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.
