LIVE BLOG: Follow Indiana's Game With Rutgers in Realtime
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Big Ten is so tough that every game seems monumental, and that's no different here today when Indiana takes on Rutgers.
The Hoosiers are back to .500 in the Big Ten after Thursday's huge win at No. 4 Iowa, and they desperately want to validated that Sunday. Rutgers, which was once 6-0 and ranked No. 11 in the country, has now lost five in a row and is just 7-6 overall and 3-6 in the league.
If you're not familiar with our LIVE BLOG, we'll keep you updated on everything that's going on here INSIDE Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, with live action, breaking news and opinion as it's happening.
Just keep refreshing the story. The most recent entry will always be at the top.
Here we go:
IT'S A FINAL: Rutgers wins 74-70. Game story to come. Geo Baker led Rutgers with 19 points. Armaan Franklin led Indiana with 14.
1:55 p.m. – Trayce Jackson-Davis fouled at 43.7 to go, and makes them both. 73-70. Ron Harper Jr. misses a three-pointer as the shot clock wound down, but Rutgers got the rebound and Geo Baker was fouled. EXACT repeat of the Florida State loss, where they just couldn't get a rebound in the final minute. Baker hits the free throw. 74-70 with 8.7 to go. Al Durham missed a three, and that ended it.
1:53 p.m. – Scramble for the ball there on an IU possession. Refs going to the monitor. Stays IU ball, but Armaan Franklin misses a 12-footer from the left corner. Forced to foul, Jacob Young misses the one-and-one.
1:50 – Armaan Franklin loses control on a drive to the hoop and Rutgers comes away with it. Ron Harper Jr. fouled and makes 1-of-2. Franklin hits a three-pointer on the next trip, and Rutgers leads 73-68 with 1:25 to go.
1:50 p.m. Armaan Franklin misses a tough fadeaway in the lane and Trayce Jackson-Davis fouls Ron Harper Jr. on the rebound. Harper makes both and Rutgers leads 72-65 with 2:09 to go.
1:45 p.m. – Final media timeout now and Rutgers leads 70-65. Indiana has cut the lead to three a few times, but hasn't been able to get closer. There's 2:49 to go.
1:30 p.m. – Three-pointers by Khristian Lander and Armaan Franklin have put the Hoosiers right back in this thing It's 62-59 now with 7:02 to go. Geo Baker answers on the other end though, and Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell calls a quick timeout. It's Rutgers 65-59 with 6:50 to go.
1:20 p.m. – Jordan Geronimo finally makes an appearance for Indiana at the 12:42 mark. SMH2. Hoosiers making a little run to cut back into that big Rutgers lead. Khristian Lander hit a three-pointer and then Race Thompson scores on a lay-up and was fouled. Rutgers 55-46.
1:12 p.m. – Trayce Jackson-Davis stops the bleeding with a basket on a strong drive to the hoop. He's fouled too, and will shoot that after the first media timeout. Rutgers 45-37.
1:05 p.m. – Rutgers comes out with a ton of energy and jumps head 43-35. Archie Miller forced to call a timeout after a few more defensive lapses. Sad to say, Rutgers is simply played harder. 17:41 to go.
HALFTIME CARDBOARD CUTOUT PHOTOS
HALFTIME – At the turn, it's been an entertaining first 20 minutes. Rutgers scored five straight points to make it 36-31. After a timeout, Indiana ran a great play, with Rob Phinisee finding Trayce Jackson-Davis on an alley-oop. Rutgers scores on a put-back at the buzzer, and it's 38-33 Rutgers.
12:35 p.m. – We've passed the under-4 timeout and Rutgers leads 31-29. Still too easy at the rim for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers still shooting great at 62 percent from the field. Indiana is at 45.5 percent, but 4-for-6 from three-point range (66.7 percent) and 5-for-7 at the line. Big stretch here to halftime.
12:25 p.m. – Indiana battles back nicely, gets to 24-22 at the under-8 media timeout. Looks like Armaan Franklin might have retweaked his ankle injury on a drive to the basket just prior to the stoppage. That's something we'll have to watch going forward. UPDATE: Franklin back on the floor after the timeout and quickly scores to tie the game at 24.
12:20 p.m. – At the 10:18 mark, Trayce Jackson-Davis gets his first point on the second of two free throws. Hasn't seen the ball much. Rutgers doing a nice job of preventing that. Fouled again on the next possession after a nice pass from Armaan Franklin. This time, he makes the first, misses the second. SMH. Third trip, he scores on a roll to the hoop after another nice pass from Franklin. Rutgers 24, Indiana 20.
MY TWO CENTS: You'll usually hear me complaining about Indiana's perimeter defense, but today it's on the inside guys early. Rutgers just scored a quick six points on three straight dunks. Guys getting lost, and out of position, Jerome Hunter and Race Thompson the early culprits. Archie Miller calls timeout. Rutgers up 22-16.
12:10 p.m. – It's a little too easy on the offensive end for Rutgers. We're at the first media timeout here and it's 13-8 Scarlet Knights. They're 5-for-7 from the field already. Hoosiers need to amp up the defense pressure a bit.
12:05 p.m. – It's a very good sign that Indiana has opened the game with three-pointer from Al Durham and Rob Phinisee. Also a good sign that Phinisee has hit his first two free throws. All keys to the game. Indiana with an early 8-5 lead.
11:55 a.m. – Indiana will start with Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson up front, with Armaan Franklin, Rob Phinisee and Al Durham at the three guard spots.
11:50 a.m. – No movement in the latest line all morning. Indiana still a 3-point favorite. My gambling friend Walter Ego was a little surprised by the number. He thought it might have been closer to 5. He's glad, though. Told me he's taking the Hoosiers today, but not for a lot.
11:40 a.m. – The game is on the Big Ten Network today. Here's how to watch, plus my three keys to the game. CLICK HERE
11:30 a.m. – Trey Galloway is in street clothes again today and will not play. He's been bothering by a back injury since the Purdue game. Joey Brunk is here too, and it street clothes. He had back surgery at the end of the year.
11:20 – Last year's game was tough on the eyes. At Rutgers, Indiana lost 59-50 and made just 2-of-19 three-point attempts. Can't repeat that today.
