'Flat as Hell' Indiana Gets Whipped at Home by Penn State, 85-71
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Prior to Saturday, when Indiana was expected to win they've done just that. They were 10-0 as favorites this season.
The trend went up in flames against Penn State in a Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall matinee. Despite grabbing a double-digit lead late in the first half, the lethargic Hoosiers got clobbered by the so-so Nittany Lions 85-71. Penn State won easily despite being 6.5-point underdogs, and its players walked off the court with smiles on their faces as boos rained down on the departing Hoosiers.
"I'm not going to throw my guys under the bus,'' Indiana coach Mike Woodson said when asked about his team's lack of energy and aggressiveness in the second half. "They were flat as hell. We just didn't have anything going in the second half. Once we fell behind, it was tough to get back.''
Penn State had only won one game away from home all year, and their four Big Ten road losses were by an average of 15.5 points per game. None of that mattered Saturday, when a team that came into the game ranked No. 309 out of 251 in three-pointers made buried 12 longballs.
That's been a problem throughout the season for Indiana. It's been better lately — the Hoosiers held Illinois and Iowa to a combined 28.9 percent shooting — but it was a well-worn script again Saturday. Indiana is now 13-9 on the season, and 5-6 in the Big Ten.
"When teams go on runs, you have to find ways to come together and make stops,'' Indiana guard Trey Galloway said. "I think just us coming together as one, that's the thing we need to do, and we didn't do that.''
Indiana sophomore Malik Reneau was back in the starting lineup after missing all but a few minutes of the win over Iowa on Tuesday. He showed no ill effects from the ankle injury, and the Hoosiers got off to another good start. They led from the jump and built an 11-point led late in the first half on a Kel'el Ware basket and foul, which gave Indiana a 34-23 with 5:15 to go.
Penn State went on an 8-0 run after that, and the Hoosiers staggered to the locker room with a 41-37 lead.
They staggered back out, too, looking lethargic to start the second half. Penn State made 9-of-12 shots to start the half and quickly built a 13-point lead of its own at 61-48 with 11:05 to go.
In that 14-minute widow wrapping around halftime, Penn State outscored the Hoosiers 38-14.
Indiana never really threatened from there. Indiana got no closer than 10 points, and the Penn State led got as large as 18.
"They were just playing harder than us,'' Galloway said. "We have to be better (defending the three). We have to be in the moment, and be confident with what we're doing. It's all of us, not just one guy. It's all five guys on the floor.''
The Hoosiers' defensive letdowns spoiled a solid offensive night from 7-foot center Kel'el Ware. He finished the night with 25 points and 11 rebounds. He was 8-for-12 from the field and made all eight free throw attempts. The Hoosiers were 16-for-19 from the line — 84.2 percent — their best performance of the year from the stripe.
Reneau finished with 16 points, Mackenzie Mgbako added 13 and Trey Galloway had 12.
Senior point guard Xavier Johnson didn't play Saturday and had his left forearm in a brace after a hard fall at the end of the Iowa game. Freshman Gabe Cupps started and had just two points in 33 minutes. His counterpart, Penn State point guard Ace Baldwin Jr., had 22 points and was one of five Nittany Lions in double figures.
Indiana's bench was non-existent, too, scoring just three points in a combined 30 minutes by Anthony Leal (0), Anthony Walker (0) and CJ Gunn (3). Gunn's three-point play came with 2:13 to go in the game and the Hoosiers trailing by 18 points.
The two teams meet again in three weeks. They'll square off in State College, Pa. on Saturday, Feb. 24. The game also begins at Noon ET. Next up for Indiana is a road game at Ohio State on Tuesday.
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- PHOTO GALLERY: The Indiana Hoosiers had no answer for the hot shooting performance from the Penn State Nittany Lions in Saturday's key Big Ten matchup from Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Here are the best pictures from the game. CLICK HERE
- GALLOWAY HIGHLIGHT: Indiana senior Trey Galloway provided a nice spark at Assembly Hall Saturday against Penn State, picking the pocket of Zach Hicks and taking it all the way to the rim for an easy dunk. CLICK HERE
- LIVE BLOG: Welcome to our live blog for Saturday's matchups between Indiana and Penn State, where we'll share live updates, highlights and thoughts on the game live from press row at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. CLICK HERE
- RENEAU, JOHNSON, CLARY INJURY UPDATE: On the Big Ten's pregame availability report, Indiana senior point guard Xavier Johnson is listed out with an elbow injury, while leading scorer Malik Reneau is questionable with an ankle injury. Penn State guard and leading scorer Kanye Clary is out with a face injury. CLICK HERE
