In Dismal Shooting Night, Indiana Basketball Fought Human Nature vs Incarnate Word

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Darian DeVries finally snapped.

Though Indiana men's basketball held a 39-24 lead over Incarnate Word with 17-and-a-half minutes remaining, the Hoosiers' first-year coach watched his offense commit a shotclock violation after a sluggish possession, one that followed a 3-pointer from the Cardinals.

While his team walked back to play defense, DeVries moved to the edge of his allotted coaches' box and yelled.

"Wake up," DeVries shouted, so intently it traveled five rows into the bleachers behind him.

The Hoosiers, who built a 35-19 halftime lead, slept through the majority of the second half but made enough plays late to earn a 69-61 victory over Incarnate Word on Sunday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.

"Sometimes with teams, even veteran teams, when you're not making shots, your energy isn't where you want it to be," DeVries said postgame. "That's fighting human nature and that's what we can't be. That's where the learning comes in tonight.

"It's not going perfectly for us as an offense. We are missing the shots we normally make. You got to continue to fight."

DeVries felt Indiana checked that box in the first half.

The Hoosiers, who entered Sunday as the nation's seventh-best 3-point shooting offense at 47.5% and the ninth-best offense overall at 99.7 points per game, had a difficult start.

They shot 13 of 30 from the field and 3 of 13 from distance in the first half, but they carried a 16-point lead into the locker room due to strong defense. Incarnate Word went only 6-for-29 shooting in the first half.

But in the second half, the Cardinals shot 54% from the field, were 6 of 13 from beyond the arc and outscored the Hoosiers, 42-34. Indiana, meanwhile, went 10-for-23 shooting from the floor but just 2 of 11 from distance over the final 20 minutes.

And the more shots didn't fall, the less energy Indiana produced. Lacking the patented juice DeVries has baked into the team's culture, the Hoosiers allowed more paint penetration, which Incarnate Word turned into quality looks at all three levels and a spirited charge to trim an 18-point deficit down to 5 points with one minute remaining.

It's a lesson DeVries hopes his team learns from.

"That's something we'll take and go, 'Hey, you built this lead because your defense was still really good,'" DeVries said. "That energy is something we have to play with. We got to be a very spirited, physical, tough-minded group for 40 minutes every night. That's how we're going to win."

Indiana won its first three games behind a different ingredient: Relentlessly efficient 3-point shooting. But DeVries warned several times there would be nights where shots didn't fall, and the Hoosiers endured one Sunday.

Collectively, Indiana shot 5 of 24 from beyond the arc. Three starting guards — seniors Lamar Wilkerson, Tayton Conerway and Conor Enright — were a combined 0-of-8 shooting from distance, while senior forward Tucker DeVries went 3 for 11. Freshman forward Trent Sisley knocked down 2 of 4 attempts.

Incarnate Word used a 1-3-1 zone defense to slow Indiana's pace, though Darian DeVries noted the Hoosiers prepared for the look in practice and handled it well during the game. Still, DeVries said the zone disrupted Indiana's rhythm and created stagnant movement.

Without the ball swinging from side to side, the Hoosiers encountered more one-on-one opportunities than they've had to start the season, which DeVries feels contributed to his offense's general inefficiency.

But there's also this: The shots, no matter the ball or player movement, simply didn't fall.

"I felt like we had some good threes that we missed," DeVries said. "But my guess is a lot of those threes weren't as clean as we're used to getting because the ball wasn't moving the way we want it to, to get the high quality shots."

Though Indiana had its first off night from distance, senior forward Sam Alexis said the team's shooting proficiency created advantageous looks for him inside. Alexis led the Hoosiers with 16 points while tying with Sisley for a team-best eight rebounds.

"I thought Sam was — without him, we weren't winning that game today," Tucker DeVries said. "He was a beast down low."

Darian DeVries agreed.

"Sam is playing great," DeVries said. "He was one of the guys tonight that really brought some good energy, some good physicality. There was about a handful of possessions in the second half where he switched on a guard and guarded about as well as anybody. I thought he was terrific."

Indiana has no worries about correcting its 3-point shooting struggles. DeVries said the Hoosiers were assembled with the intent to make triples, and they made double-digit 3-pointers in each of their first three games.

There were never any questions about whether Indiana has the shooters. For DeVries, the bigger query came with how the Hoosiers would handle a night where none of their long-range snipers find their form.

Overcoming such a game is a test Indiana took — and passed — in an exhibition win over Baylor on Oct. 26. This time, with the result counting and fans in Assembly Hall growing restless, the Hoosiers again made the grade.

But they certainly won't get any style points.

"I think at the end of the day that's important, to still find a way to win games when shots aren't falling," Tucker DeVries said. "I know it didn't look pretty, but that's part of growing. I think there is a lot we can take away from that as we look at it tomorrow."

The Hoosiers (4-0) return to action at 6 p.m. Thursday against Lindenwood (2-3) at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.