They were saving their best for last? After a 14-13 start to the regular season, Indiana finished 4-0, closing with a Senior Day win over Michigan State.
The Hoosiers were dominant early, and jumped out to a 24-7 lead with 8:50 left in the first half. The Spartans closed the first half on an 8-0 run, and they continued that momentum in the second half with a 14-2 start that gave MSU a 43-36 lead. Back and forth they went as Indiana rallied from multiple seven point deficits. But IU closed the game with a 17-9 run over the final 9:48.
Let’s take a deeper look at how IU won 64-63 with another edition of The Report Card.
Indiana (18-13, 10-10) will next play the winner of Penn State and Michigan at the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis on Thursday evening.
COACHING (A-)
Mike Woodson and his staff clearly had the team ready to play, as they jumped out to a commanding 17-point lead in the first half. And despite adversity, they found a way to finish.
When Trey Galloway left with an injury, Indiana’s level of play gradually deteriorated on both ends. It took a while to find answers in his absence, but Woodson adjusted and chose to force feed his greatest advantage — his big men — on every possession. Both Kel’el Ware and Malik Reneau delivered down the stretch with post touches and dives to the rim.
And Woodson’s team found answers on the defensive end again over the final 10 minutes of the second half. He stuck with a tight six-man rotation that figured it out and delivered a win on Senior Day.
OFFENSE (B-)
Early in the game with Galloway, Indiana was able to push the pace and score in transition.
Late in the game, big men Ware and Reneau were dominant. Two different styles, but both were effective.
IU overcame their third highest turnover rate of the season (24.1%) and another rough day at the free throw line (5-of-12, 41.7%) — with 12 offensive rebounds (and 12 second chance points) and respectable three-point shooting (6-of-17, 35.3%).
Overall, IU scored .977 points per possession, which was the fewest they’ve had all season in a win.
All things considered, with the Galloway injury and facing Michigan State’s No. 9 defense, this was a respectable if not great effort.
DEFENSE (B+)
Indiana played some of their most connected defense of the season in the first half, and then after a tough stretch, were able to get stops late.
Michigan State only scored seven points during the first 11:10 of the game, and they only scored nine during the last 9:48. Different personnel without Galloway, but again, the Hoosiers found answers.
IU did a good job of not letting the Spartans live at the free throw line — they only got six attempts. Low opponent free throw attempts has been a theme throughout the four-game winning streak. And each of Ware (2), Reneau (2) and Mackenzie Mgbako (1) did a good job of avoiding fouls.
Indiana allowed Tyson Walker to go off with 30 points, but they limited the rest of the team to just 14-of-44 shooting (31.8%) from the field. Obviously Galloway would have at least helped in trying to slow down Walker, and IU did force him to miss on five of his last six shots.
For the game IU held MSU to .96 points per possession, with a 44.6 effective field goal percentage. Both of those figures are typically good enough to deliver a win.
MORE GAME COVERAGE
- IU’s resilience and Kel’el Ware’s brilliance lead to fourth straight win
- Look: The 2024 Big Ten Tournament bracket
- Watch: Woodson, Johnson and Ware discuss win over Michigan State
- Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal are returning for fifth years with Indiana men’s basketball
- Watch: IU basketball Senior Day 2024
- IU basketball: Indiana 65 Michigan State 64 — Three keys, highlights, final stats
THE PLAYERS
*Trey Galloway (A) Galloway had a knee issue for all of his seven minutes. He tried to play through it for a while and was excellent when on the court. IU was at their best when he was playing, and that’s no real surprise.
*Mackenzie Mgbako (B) The freshmen got off to a hot start and played at a high level in the first half, but he faded out of the picture in the second, save for an important three down the stretch. He had ball security issues with four turnovers.
*Malik Reneau (B) Reneau slipped back into challenges with turning the ball over against double-teams, and he wasn’t as efficient as he can be, but he still had clutch moments down the stretch and helped facilitate the offense with five assists.
*Kel’el Ware (A) The 7-footer willed Indiana to victory, with a second half run of 10 straight points for Indiana when the game seemed to be slipping away. His presence at the rim played a major role in MSU’s 42.5% day inside the arc. He had double-digit rebounds and multiple blocks for the fourth straight game, and Ware has had 26 or more points in three of those four games, all IU wins.
*Gabe Cupps (B-) Cupps was able to play a bit more of a facilitator role in this game, and his defense was exceptional in the first half. The freshmen still needs to find ways to impact the offense.
Anthony Leal (B-) This was the third most minutes Leal has played in a game, and the most in two years. His shots weren’t falling, but he helped will the team down the stretch with effort.
Xavier Johnson (C+) In his final home, Johnson struggled in the first half with three turnovers, but got better as the game wore on. In the final nine minutes he had three assists, two rebounds and made an important three that gave IU the lead back.
Anthony Walker also appeared in the game briefly.
C.J. Gunn, Kaleb Banks and Payton Sparks did not play.
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Jakai Newton (knee) is out long-term. He did dress for this game.
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