3 Instant Takeaways from Indiana Basketball's 98-97 Win at UCLA

LOS ANGELES — Nick Dorn's 3-pointer appeared the final nail in UCLA's coffin.

After Indiana basketball's junior guard splashed a triple, his six of the day, the Hoosiers held a 10-point lead over UCLA with less than two minutes remaining.

Then, it all fell apart.

The Hoosiers missed free throws. They struggled beating the Bruins' press and ball pressure. They failed to get defensive stops.

And in less than 100 seconds, Indiana's once-insurmountable lead crashed and burned. Trent Perry's contested 3-pointer from the top of the key, which swished through the net with 1.1 seconds remaining, brought the Bruins back to even.

The Hoosiers and Bruins fought back and forth until freshman Trent Sisley's free throw with 0.3 seconds remaining pushed Indiana (15-7, 6-5 Big Ten) to a gritty, resilient 98-97 win over UCLA (15-7, 7-4 Big Ten) on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion,

Here are three fast thoughts from the Hoosiers' victory.

Dorn, Bailey carry Indiana in second half; Wilkerson and Sisley finish

After his acrobatic layup gave the Hoosiers a 49-47 lead at the under-12 timeout, Dorn listened in the huddle while owning an impressive badge: He'd scored 15 of the Hoosiers' first 19 points in the second half.

All told, Dorn finished with a team-high 26 points on 8-for-18 shooting from the field, including 6 of 15 from beyond the arc. He scored 21 points in the second half but didn't score in either overtime.

Indiana's next basket after Dorn's and-one was a dunk from senior forward Reed Bailey. It served almost as a passing of the torch. Dorn brought Indiana back into the game, and Bailey helped finish it.

Bailey, who had 10 points at halftime, scored 11 of the Hoosiers' next 13 points after Dorn's and-one. The 6-foot-10, 230-pounder finished with 24 points on 6-for-7 shooting and going 12 of 13 at the foul stripe while grabbing six rebounds and dishing five assists.

But neither scored in overtime. Sixth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson took over, routinely getting to the rim and serving as the team's primarily ball-handler. He finished with 24 points and was the lone Hoosier to join Dorn and Bailey in double figures.

Sisley scored only 3 points, all at the foul stripe, but made the decisive shot.

Indiana Gets Another NCAA Tournament Resume Boost

Indiana entered Saturday seeking its first three-game winning streak in Big Ten play this season after nabbing an 82-59 win over Rutgers on Jan. 23 and defeating No. 12 Purdue, 72-67, on Jan. 27.

The Hoosiers bolstered their NCAA Tournament resume against Purdue, and they added another quality win Saturday afternoon. The Bruins began the day undefeated at home and ranked No. 40 in the NET.

Indiana's victory marked its second Quad 1 win this week, a particularly paramount feat given it entered the Purdue game without a single triumph against such an opponent.

Momentum building in DeVries' first season

Indiana lost four straight games before its recent three-game surge. The Hoosiers' season was once at risk of spiraling. Now, the script has flipped, and the wind is firmly behind DeVries' team as the calendar turns toward February.

The Hoosiers are playing harder and with better togetherness. Senior forward Tucker DeVries passed up good shots for great shots. Several teammates did the same. Dorn's emergence, and Bailey's continued flashes, give Indiana more threats to score and impact games.

Indiana was never left for dead, but skepticism certainly grew in Darian DeVries' first year at the helm. The Hoosiers' past three games have been significant in quieting doubts, not only about DeVries' capabilities but his team's ceiling.