LIVE BLOG: Follow Along As Indiana Basketball Hosts Penn State

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Welcome to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Indiana hosts Penn State in the penultimate home game of the season.

Indiana is fresh off of its 73-58 victory over then-No. 13 Purdue on Sunday. The second half was the best the Hoosiers have looked all season, but it's only as good as your next performance.

Penn State is playing better too. Two wins on the bounce after seven straight losses. Included was a road win at Minnesota, so the Nittany Lions are feeling good about themselves and they tend to give the Hoosiers problems.

• Injury report: Nothing new for either team. Gabe Cupps and Jakai Newton are listed out for the Hoosiers. Puff Johnson is listed out for Penn State. None of those players have been active recently for their teams.

• As Indiana emerged from the locker room for their final pregame shootaround 30 minutes before tipoff, Malik Reneau was not on the floor. Something that obviously bears watching.

• Penn State won handily when they came into Assembly Hall last season. Penn State won 85-71. It seemed to be a low ebb at the time, but after a win at Ohio State later that week, the Hoosiers lost four in a row. Since then, Indiana has beaten Penn State twice, albeit in close games. We'll learn a lot about how committed Indiana is to maintain the high level of play they demonstrated against Purdue.

• I intend to write about Big Ten Tournament scenarios tomorrow once some more games are in the books. I'm not sure fans are that engaged in the Big Ten Tournament ... because they've never had to be before. Don't forget that three teams won't make it as the Big Ten adopted a 15-team format. It's highly unlikely Indiana will miss and a win tonight would likely remove any doubt.

Some years, there's certain seed lines you want to avoid. Not sure that's as important this season. Indiana has been competitive with the teams mostly likely to get the double byes - Michigan State, Michigan, Purdue and Maryland. Wisconsin is the only contender that truly got the measure of the Hoosiers.

• Starters: Indiana - Oumar Ballo, Mackenzie Mgbako, Luke Goode, Anthony Leal, Trey Galloway.
Penn State - Ace Baldwin Jr., D'Marco Dunn, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Zach Hicks, Freddie Dilone.

• Since the announcement was made that Mike Woodson was leaving, the pregame booing has largely disappeared. No need to pour salt in the wound.

• Reneau is not on the floor for the final pregame warmup. He is at Assembly Hall and was seen in uniform earlier tonight. Social media chatter that he's sick, but that's unconfirmed.

• Hopefully we can have the kind of drama they had in College Park, Md. just now. Tre Holloman with a buzzer beater from just beyond mid-court to lift Michigan State to a victory over Maryland. Michigan State hasn't clinched anything yet, but what a big win that is in their quest to win the Big Ten.

• Clearly, Malik Reneau is not available to start this game and the Big Ten availability report was updated late to include Reneau as questionable. We don't know what the intended plan was to attack this game, but it's never great when a game-time adjustment has to be made. We're about to find out if the Hoosiers brush it off and take care of business or whether it throws them off.

• Penn State basketball isn't a great draw and tonight is no exception. Balcony on the west side of Assembly Hall has some folks in it, but the east side balcony is nearly empty. Good amount of fans in the lower seating sections.

• Penn State 9-8, 15:01 1H. Very slow start for the Hoosiers - Penn State led 7-1 - but the Hoosiers have been more patient in setting their half-court offense since the start of the game. Nittany Lions does a good job of challenging post catches, but Indiana has been able to pull Oumar Ballo away from the basket a bit, leaving room for cutters to exploit space.

• Indiana 17-14, 11:52 1H. Similar to the game at the Palestra in January, Penn State is often its own worst enemy with its poor ball security. Indiana has seven points off four Nittany Lions turnovers already. The Hoosiers have hit their last six shots, not all of them due to Penn State turnovers, but it sure helps the confidence when a few easy ones go down.

• With Reneau not playing, Langdon Hatton has been pressed into service for the first time since Indiana's game at Purdue on Jan. 31. So far, Indiana has avoided foul problems that might cause problems for the front court depth in the second half.

• Penn State 22-17, 8:31 1H. When Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal came off the floor, Indiana stagnated. Hoosiers haven't scored in 3:36 as Penn State is on a 10-0 run. Yanic Konan Niederhauser s the real deal for the Nittany Lions. He already has 9 points, 3 rebounds and he swatted a Leal shot.

• 22-22, 6:58 1H. Kanaan Carlyle comes out of the cold. Two straight buckets for Carlyle. One a layup on a sweet feed by Oumar Ballo. The other was a 3-point shot. Defense? Neither team is exactly locking down. Penn State is shooting 56%, Indiana is at 53%.

• Penn State 29-24, 4:34 1H. Essentially a five-man attack for Penn State, but Ace Baldwin, Nicholas Kern, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Freddie Dilone and Zach Hicks are a combined 12 of 19 for the Nittany Lions and they kick-started a 5-0 run. Timeout Indiana.

• 29-29, 3:20 1H. Penn State punches, Indiana punches back. A layup by Oumar Ballo and a 3-point bucket by Mackenzie Mgbako quickly pulled the Hoosiers even again. Every Indiana player who has taken a shot has made at least 50% from the field. The Hoosiers are 55% overall.

• Penn State 30-29, 3:14 1H. We've had two different stoppages as Indiana tried to bring the ball up the floor. No explanation to anyone inside Assembly Hall. Give me strength.

• Penn State 37-35, :30.4 1H. Since their early 7-1 lead, Penn State has not led by more than five, but the Nittany Lions are the ones landing the first punch. Indiana responds in kind, but the Hoosiers haven't been able to mix stops and buckets.

• Halftime: Penn State 39, Indiana 37. For entertainment value, this game has been pretty good, but given where the Nittany Lions are in the Big Ten (5-12 in conference play entering the game), it was not a good half for Indiana in the sense where you want them to command at home against a team 2 1/2 games below them in the standings. Oumar Ballo has 11 points. Ace Baldwin Jr., who did something I didn't see to draw the ire of the student section, has 10 points for the Nittany Lions.

• Same starting five for the second half for both teams. Indiana needs to take control of this one.

• Penn State 49-46, 15:42 2H. The pattern from the first half is unbroken. Penn State asserts their will, Indiana responds, but the Hoosiers cannot impose their will for sustained periods of time. Mackenzie Mgbako is off to a good 2-for-3 start in the second half, but the Hoosiers can't make headway.

• Officials have been getting an earful from both Penn State coach Mike Rhoades and Indiana coach Mike Woodson. Game has had a weird flow as far as calls I have to admit.

• 53-53, 11:59 2H. One step forward, one step back. Indiana did briefly take the lead, but neither team is able to make a run. I thought it was a game of runs? That's what coaches have told me for years!

• Highlight: Trey Galloway has six assists. Lowlight: Trey Galloway has five turnovers.

• Penn State 65-62, 7:45 2H. Indiana students serenading Penn State guard Ace Baldwin with some not so nice chants, but he's been the best player on the floor tonight. He has 20 points, five rebounds and three assists. Would be nice if Indiana had a player who had that combination of swagger with substance.

That said, Indiana hasn't let the Nittany Lions get away. Balanced attack as Oumar Ballo (who goes to the line after the media timeout), Mackenzie Mgbako and Trey Galloway all have six points.

• Indiana 73-69, 5:12 2H. Hoosiers finally, finally make a breakthrough. Two straight 3-point buckets by Trey Galloway flip the script. It's the largest Indiana lead since the 12:07 mark of the first half. Galloway is 4-for-4 from 3-point range. Crazy stat line for Galloway: 16 points, 7 assists, 6 turnovers.

• Indiana 75-72, 3:59 2H. Zach Hicks barrelled into Myles Rice coming down the floor on a fast break. Hicks traveled on the play, but Rice took a direct hit on the drive under the bucket from the 6-7 Hicks. Rice was down on the floor for about a minute or so and was grabbing at his tailbone as he very slowly walked back to the Indiana huddle. Mike Rhoades was pretty fortunate to avoid a techincal foul while arguing the play as Rice was down on the floor. Entertainment value in this game has been high.

• Rice right back into the action for the Hoosiers.

• Indiana 75-72, 3:13 2H. Yanic Konan Niederhauser to the line after the Indiana timeout. Hoosiers got ahead by six, but have been on the back foot since. Rice has had two turnovers since the 4:03 mark.

• Indiana 80-73, 2:32 2H. Myles Rice hit a corner 3. Ace Baldwin Jr. tried to push the tempo, but slipped under the rim and flung the ball away to Trey Galloway on the right sideline. Galloway found Rice all by himself on the break and a quick 5-0 run has Indiana in a commanding position.

• Indiana 81-76, :56.5 2H. Rice makes one of two at the line after Oumar Ballo rebounded a Trey Galloway 3-point miss to keep an Indiana possession alive just long enough to let a few seconds tick off the clock. Hoosiers need a stop to feel more comfortable.

• Indiana 82-78, :11.2 2H. Hoosiers not making it easy on themselves. Rice missed a pair at the line to give Penn State a chance to tie the game. Nittany Lions didn't show much composure, though, as Zach Hicks took an off-balance 3-pointer that really had no chance. Indiana rebounds and Luke Goode has already made one at the line with one more attempt to go.

• FINAL: Indiana 83, Penn State 78. It wasn't easy, but the Hoosiers do eventually get the job done. Oumar Ballo had 20 points and 12 rebounds. Trey Galloway had 16 points, nine assists and six turnovers. Penn State's Ace Baldwin Jr. endured taunts from the student section, but scored 22 points with five assists and five rebounds.

Indiana heads West for two games. The Hoosiers take on Washington at Alaska Airlines Arena on Saturday.

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