Games like Indiana’s contest on Saturday afternoon are one any team dreads to play. Noon tipoff, no students on campus and a pesky mid-major looking to play spoiler make it hard to get up for a game.
So, the Hoosiers played accordingly.
IU took the floor looking like it had just woken up, playing sluggishly and with little defensive effort. When the Mocs made their fourth 3-pointer of the game just eight-and-a-half minutes in to take a 7-point lead, trouble loomed.
However, Indiana rallied and defeated Chattanooga 74-65. Although they achieved the desired result, the Hoosiers’ consistency and overall effort have yet to be fully realized, with one non-conference matchup remaining. As the team’s 17-point loss at Nebraska revealed, that level of play won’t cut it in the Big Ten.
Early on in the contest, Chattanooga’s shooters were getting open at ease and knocking down looks. Trey Bonham – the team’s leading scorer – was practically unchecked to start the game. He scored the Mocs’ first six points and knocked down a second 3-pointer a few minutes later.
The Mocs started the game 8-for-13 from the field, including four threes, but the same defensive errors that have haunted Indiana all season were visible. Trouble staying in front of the ball, poor communication, slowness in fighting through screens and failure to close out open looks on the perimeter all contributed to a sluggish showing.
“I thought just their movement caused problems for us,” Mike Woodson said postgame. “You know, the back door cuts and things of that nature… those are the things you’ve got to eliminate, especially against good teams.”
In a game where the starting five was “atrocious,” according to Woodson, the bench unit produced key contributions to fight back. The defense tightened up some, but the offensive side started to create. While some open 3-point looks didn’t fall, IU attacked the basket more and began to produce.
Leading 41-38 at halftime, the defensive effort couldn’t have been much worse. When the Hoosiers started picking it up on that side of the ball in the second frame, they sacrificed the offense in the process.
Indiana came out swinging, looking more like the talented team. A 10-4 spurt led to a 9-point advantage and soon after, a second mini run put the Hoosiers up 13. Malik Reneau came alive…
