The Daily Hoosier

This Date in Hoosier History: Indiana Defeats Temple to Reach 2013 Sweet 16

March 24, 2023 Mike Schumann Basketball History, IUBB, March Classics 0

For most of the game, the No. 1 seeded Indiana Hoosiers had no answers on defense when it came to stopping Temple’s Khalif Wyatt.

Fortunately for IU, their own superstar rose to the occasion in the closing seconds on the other end of the floor.

Victor Oladipo hit a three-pointer with 14 seconds remaining as Indiana escaped the round of 32 with a 58-52 win over Temple in Dayton.

Indiana trailed by four with 2:56 left as Wyatt torched the Hoosiers for 31 of the Owls 52 points.

After Oladipo’s three-pointer put the Hoosiers up 56-52, Indiana was finally able to stop Wyatt, who was way off with his own 3-point attempt from the right wing with six seconds left.  Indiana’s Christian Watford grabbed the rebound and was fouled, and the Hoosiers were able to take a big sigh of relief.

“I was just open, and I shot it,” Oladipo said of his make from distance that sent the Hoosiers back to the Sweet 16.  The junior led IU with 16 points.

Oladipo’s big moment might not have happened if it were not for a play by Watford moments earlier.

With Temple leading 52-50 with two minutes remaining, the Owls’ Anthony Lee appeared to have a dunk at the rim before Watford came from behind and blocked the shot cleanly.  Now known as the “Wat Block” colloquially, the senior forward’s defensive recovery fueled Indiana’s late 10-0 rally to win the game.

“I was on the weak side, and I was kind of holed up too much, and Wyatt put enough air on the ball for me to get it, and I got in at the end and challenged the shot, and I blocked him,” Watford recalled of his momentum changing rejection.

Indiana trailed 29-26 at halftime.  Cody Zeller added 15 points for Indiana but also committed six turnovers on the afternoon.

It wasn’t all good news for Indiana, as star guard Jordan Hulls emerged from locker room with his right shoulder in a wrap.  The senior only played 19 minutes and appeared to be limited when IU lost the following week in the round of 16 against Syracuse.

BOX SCORE

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