Rapid reaction from a heartbreaking 73-72 loss to Arkansas on Sunday afternoon. The Hoosiers hung around for the entire game and had a chance to win at the end. With the game tied, a missed layup by Rob Phinisee and a missed put back by De’Ron Davis in the final seconds followed by a questionable foul call on Davis prevented the Hoosiers from coming out on top.
Below are our three keys to the game and the final box score and specialty stats. Check back later tonight for our complete post-game report card.
1. Foul trouble presents major challenges. Juwan Morgan missed almost the entire first half with two fouls. Rob Phinisee dealt with foul trouble the entire game. His absence put Indiana in a bind trying to handle the Arkansas full court pressure with limited ball handlers on the floor. Indiana committed 18 turnovers for the game after averaging just 13 in its first three.
2. The Hoosiers lack composure on the road. IU committed turnovers, air-balls, missed layups, poor free throw shooting, and were weak with the ball in their hands. Much of it was Arkansas’ style, but Indiana knew that was coming. Some of it was Rob Phinisee playing just 21 minutes due to fouls. More than anything, it was IU being a bit exposed as a young and short-handed team in its first road game.
3. Two NBA first round picks shine. There is no doubt that the best two players on the floor were Arkansas’ Daniel Gafford and IU’s Romeo Langford. With apologies to Juwan Morgan, Gafford and Langford were just at another level. The Hoosiers had no answer for Gafford on the glass or when he caught the ball down low, and Langford seemed to thrive on the road, hitting free throws and big 3-pointers to go with his exceptional slashing game. He also had five assists and ten rebounds on the day.
FINAL BOX SCORE AND SPECIALTY STATS
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