The Minute After: Minnesota
Thoughts on a 70-58 win against Minnesota:
Winners of five straight at home, the Golden Gophers didn’t profile as a team that would go away easily.
But with students on spring break and the Barn having a little less juice tonight, Indiana had no issue putting them away.
Minnesota came back from an early 8-0 deficit and carried the lead through the middle section of the first half. But once Indiana grabbed it back with 5:59 to go before halftime at 24-23, the Hoosiers never gave it up. All they did was extend it through a dominant second half, which saw them grab a 19-point lead twice before settling on a 12-point victory.
Yes, Minnesota didn’t exactly play its best game. The Golden Gophers made just 9-of-14 (64.3 percent) from the line and 5-of-26 (19.2 percent) from deep. They also turned it over on 26 percent of their possessions and scored just .85 points per possession. Minnesota lacked energy and played flat tonight, something Minnesota coach Ben Johnson lamented after the contest.
“They brought the fight to us,” he said. ” … It just snowballed and we were never able to regroup.”
And yet, credit must also go to Indiana’s defense. Trey Galloway did a nice job neutralizing Elijah Hawkins, as he went just 1-of-10 from the field (three points) and dished out only three assists. Dawson Garcia also didn’t score a point in the first half. And those turnovers didn’t just happen themselves; Indiana was continually in the passing lanes and racked up 12 steals. Aided in part by those steals, the Hoosiers scored 19 fast-break points and 21 off turnovers.
“We held in there with our defense,” Mike Woodson said on the Big Ten Network’s broadcast after the game. “It was solid all the way through from beginning to end.”
Kel’el Ware continues to dominate. He led all scorers with 26 points on a hyper-efficient 12-of-16 mark from the field. Ware made 2-of-3 from deep and added 11 rebounds, three assists and three blocks. This all came despite some foul trouble that had him on and off the floor at times, though he still played 34 minutes of action.
Mackenzie Mgbako also continues to shine, as Indiana’s freshman scored 15 points (6-of-12 from the floor, 3-of-4 from deep). Mgbako hit back-to-back 3-pointers during the middle of the second half to push Indiana’s lead to 15 points. Ware’s two makes and Mgbako’s three makes from 3-point range came over the final 20 minutes of action, as the Hoosiers hit 5-of-7 (71.4 percent) in the second half from distance.
But Indiana continues to butter its bread down low, as 48 of its 70 points came in the paint this evening. It was a night the Hoosiers shared the ball well, as they assisted on 28 of their 30 made baskets. Galloway had a big hand in that. He posted his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 boards.
After a four-game skid where all seemed lost, Indiana is now on a three-game winning streak. A home game against Michigan State looms. Can the Hoosiers close out the conference season with a win and then go make some noise in the Big Ten tournament?
We shall soon see.
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
Filed to: Minnesota Golden Gophers