Live Blog: Follow Indiana's Game Against Ohio State in Real Time
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana returns home to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for an 8 p.m. ET tipoff against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Coach Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers are coming off an 86-70 loss at Nebraska Wednesday night, while Ohio State defeated Rutgers 76-72 at home.
Welcome to our live blog, where we'll share updates, highlights and thoughts on the game from press row at Assembly Hall.
10:24 p.m. That's a crucial bounce-back game from Xavier Johnson, who scored 18 points with zero turnovers. Malik Reneau led Indiana with 23 points. Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle Jr. shot a combined 7-for-34 from the field. Indiana is 11-4, at Rutgers next.
10:17 p.m – Johnson 1-for-2 at the line again. Mahaffey misses a layup on the other end, Ware grabs the rebound. Game over. Indiana wins 71-65.
10:15 p.m. – Johnson fouled by Thornton on the in-bounds. He goes 1-for-2 at the line, extending IU's lead to 70-65 with 15.2 seconds left. Johnson rebounded his own miss, and he'll go to the line again. Heck of a performance from the senior guard after playing poorly at Nebraska.
10:13 p.m. – Officials say Battle stepped out of bounds just before attempting a corner three. That's a killer turnover for the Buckeyes, who will have to foul and put IU at the line now.
10:11 p.m. – Indiana going to go offense-defense with Mgbako and Gunn the rest of the way, it seems. Mgbako is a great free throw shooter but struggles defensively. He got double-teamed then called for a travel. OSU takes over down four with 20 seconds left.
10:10 p.m. – Gayle misses a contested layup, rebounded by Ware. Woodson calls timeout with 36.2 remaining and IU clinging to a 69-65 lead. 16.2 seconds separate the game clock from the shot clock, and IU will likely take as much clock off as it can. Not enough time to go two-for-one here, and not much reason to with a four-point lead.
10:08 p.m. – Tough move from Reneau to finish a running layup over Okpara. That gives IU a bit of breathing room, leading 69-65 with a minute left. Holtmann calls a timeout. I imagine they'll go to Battle here.
10:03 p.m. – Johnson just air-balled his first free throw attempt, but made the second. Have to think he's tired after already playing 31 minutes tonight in his second game back from injury. Okpara grabs another rebound, then lays it back in through a foul from Reneau. IU leads 67-63 with two minutes left.
10:02 p.m. – Okpara fouled on the put-back, then makes both free throw. That's a quick 5-0 run for Ohio State with 2:30 to play, trailing 66-61.
9:59 p.m. – Crafty footwork from Reneau leads to another layup. Johnson is slowing it down a bit on the next possession, and it leads to an alley-oop from Galloway to Reneau. Assembly Hall is on fire as IU leads 66-55 with 3:14 left.
9:55 p.m. – Really nice move from Johnson to go up and under the Ohio State defense for a layup. That stretches IU's lead to 62-54. He's got 15 points, and perhaps most importantly hasn't turned the ball over. He's also played 29 minutes tonight, compared to 14 at Nebraska, and looks much more like his usual, quick self.
9:53 p.m. – Mackenzie Mgbako has played just two minutes in the second half, and I'm not sure he'll get back in. He really struggled to defend Battle in the first half, but Banks and Galloway have done a much better job. Gunn knocks down a three, and IU's lead is up to 60-54 with 5:43 left.
9:48 p.m. – Ohio State has a 39-20 advantage on the glass right now, but IU leads 57-52 after another Reneau bucket. He's got 17 points now. Ohio State hasn't scored in 3:36. You can really feel the Assembly Hall crowd trying to will Indiana to this win with 6:46 left.
9:45 p.m. – Good decision from Gunn there to pass up a contested three, shot fake, then take a mid-range jumper. He knocks it down, raising his total to seven points tonight. This has been one of his best games of the season. Holtmann calls timeout as IU leads 55-52.
9:44 p.m. – Johnson drains a corner three, IU leads 53-52. He's been so much better tonight compared to his performance at Nebraska, which Woodson called "awful."
9:42 p.m. – Two Reneau free throws tie the game back up 50-50.
9:41 p.m. – Johnson back in the game for Banks. IU going a bit smaller now with Johnson, Galloway and Gunn. Battle is still on the bench, so I imagine Banks checks back in when Battle does. He has played the best defense on Battle so far tonight.
9:38 p.m. – Ohio State has really harassed Ware in the second half, holding him scoreless on three attempts. Reneau has picked up the slack, though, with nine second-half points so far.
9:35 p.m. – Reneau knocks down a three to tie the game, and Assembly Hall is very loud. That's the first time the game has been tied since just before halftime. 48-48 at the under-12 media timeout.
9:32 p.m. – Galloway checks back in the game with three fouls and 14 minutes left, replacing Johnson.
9:30 p.m. – Woodson trying Banks on Battle now, and Battle turns it over on the first possession. Reneau with another layup, and Ohio State leads by just one. IU fans trying to will the Hoosiers to this win.
9:28 p.m. – Johnson gets to the line for a pair of free throws, cutting Ohio State's lead to 46-43. That's a 6-0 run from Indiana after Ohio State opened the half with an 8-0 run. Johnson seems intent on pushing the pace tonight, which should help keep Ohio State's defense on its heels.
9:24 p.m. – Two quick buckets from Reneau cuts Ohio State's lead back down to five. Would be big for Indiana if he can get going in the second half. Had just four first-half points.
9:23 p.m. – Not sure what the solution is, but Indiana has to trie someone else on Battle. Mgbako can't stick with him. Galloway has three fouls, so that's a tough ask. Maybe Banks or Gunn. It's been a total mismatch so far.
9:18 p.m. – Really tough shot from Gayle falls in through a foul from Trey Galloway, who has now picked up three fouls in the last 1:15 of play. Battle hits another three, and all of a sudden Indiana trails 46-37. Pretty much a worst-case-scenario start to the half for Indiana.
9:16 p.m. – Battle rebounds his own long miss and dishes to Okpara for a dunk to open the second half. Reneau missed a contested layup on the other end.
9:14 p.m. – Ohio State starts the second half with the ball. Feels like this one will come down to the wire.
9:08 p.m. – So far, it's been a solid bounce-back performance for Xavier Johnson after Mike Woodson called his 14 minutes against Nebraska "awful." 8 points, 2-5 FG, 1-1 3pt FG, 3-3 FT, 2 ast, 0 turnovers.
9:02 p.m. – A key for Indiana in the second half – get to the free throw line. Hoosiers took just six free throws in the first half. They average 24.8 per game, which ranks 20th in the nation.
8:58 p.m. – Officials confirm the foul on Galloway, leading to two free throws from Key. Ohio State leads 38-37 at halftime.
8:56 p.m. – Galloway called for a foul as Key tried to tip in a miss just before the buzzer. They're reviewing this to check if the foul occurred with any time left on the clock, I believe. Looked pretty clear that it was on Galloway.
8:54 p.m. – IU is on a 6-0 run in the last 43 seconds. After a Galloway foul, Holtmann calls a timeout, so OSU will have 4.8 seconds to conjure something up before half. IU leads 37-36.
8:52 p.m. – Galloway gets a deflection and a steal on a Battle 3-point attempt. IU ran some clock, then Johnson gets fouled on the drive with nine seconds left. His two free throws give Indiana a 37-36 lead.
8:50 p.m. – Xavier Johnson knocks down a three while being fouled by Bonner. He makes the free throw, too, and Ohio State calls a timeout. That's an absolutely massive shot from the senior. IU trails 36-35.
8:48 p.m. – Galloway assists a dunk from Mgbako after IU caught a break on a missed three from Middleton, who was open. Bonner answers with a floater, and OSU leads 36-31 with a minute left.
8:45 p.m. – Ohio State turned it over on the in-bounds pass, and Galloway takes it the other way for an easy dunk. Critical stretch coming up for IU, trailing by three with about three minutes left in the half.
8:40 p.m. – Woodson draws up a nice out of bounds play, freeing Gunn for a mid-range jumper. He's got five points, but IU still trails by five.
8:39 p.m. – Ware gets the ball stolen from him after a rebound, and Gayle kicks it out to Scotty Middleton for another three. Ohio State is 5-for-13 from three tonight. IU is 1-for-2. Buckeys lead 30-23 with just over five minutes in the first half. Galloway checks back in.
8:37 p.m. – A huge dunk from CJ Gunn on a fast break gets the IU crowd excited. Okpara tried to block Gunn from behind, but he fouled him instead. That could be a good sign for the sophomore's confidence. Indiana needs him. Gunn makes the free throw, cutting Ohio State's lead to 25-23 with seven minutes left in the half.
8:35 p.m. – Mike Woodson continues to have a dilemma with Mackenzie Mgbako. He's probably Indiana's best 3-point shooter, but he is really struggling defensively, leaving 3-point shooters open way too often and gettin beat off the dribble. He started on Jamison Battle, who's got nine points, all on 3-pointers.
8:32 p.m. – Ohio State point guard Bruce Thornton picks up his second foul with 8:17 left in the half, and Mike Woodson immediately subs Xavier Johnson back in the game. It'll be interesting to see how long Chris Holtmann keeps Thornton on the bench. Definitely something to keep an eye on.
8:30 p.m. – Ohio State struggling to defend Ware early on. He's got eight points, and it's come from regular post-ups, offensive rebounds and alley-oops. Banks with a strong drive for a layup, but Zed Key hits a three on the other end. Ohio State leads 25-20.
8:27 p.m. – A bad pass turnover from Cupps gives Ohio State numbers the other way, leading to another Battle 3-pointer. He's got nine points. Zed Key with a dunk on the next possession, and IU trails 20-15 all of a sudden.
8:26 p.m. – Woodson going to his bench after the timeout, bringing in Gabe Cupps, Kaleb Banks and Anthony Walker. Starters Galloway and Reneau staying out there.
8:24 p.m. – IU leads Ohio State 15-13 at the under-12 timeout. Battle's 3-point shooting is really hurting IU so far, and Okpara already has three blocks. So far, Indiana has taken care of the ball much better than last game, when it had 19. Just one turnover through nine minutes tonight. Ware leads IU with six points.
8:19 p.m.– Really nice move from Xavier Johnson to beat Gayle off the dribble. He hesitated for a moment, then went behind his back, beat Gayle to the rim and threw a lob to Ware for an easy dunk. Battle responds with another three. He's been the top scoring option for Ohio State so far. IU leads 15-11.
8:16 p.m. – Veteran forward Zed Key first off the bench for Ohio State, replacing Okpara. Battle knocks down a three on the first possession thereafter. IU leads 11-8.
8:13 p.m. – Mgbako good from 3 on the left wing on an assist from Johnson. After a slow start to his freshman year, Mgbako has been much better offensively in the last eight games or so. Johnson blows by Thornton on the next possession for a layup. IU leads 9-5.
8:12 p.m. – Galloway comes up with a steal, then chucks it ahead to Reneau for a fast break layup. Indiana has been active on defense so far. That's a good sign after a poor defensive performance at Nebraska. Thornton made a fadeaway jumper while being fouled by Ware, his first. Indiana leads 4-3, 17:10 left.
8:10 p.m. – Good defense from Mgbako to get a steal against Jamison Battle. He makes a pocket pass to Ware on the other end for an easy dunk. IU leads 2-0 early. Two really ugly 3-point misses from Battle and Gayle, too.
8:07 p.m. – Kel'el Ware wins the tip, and we're under way.
7:56 p.m. – It should be a good home-court advantage for Indiana tonight. A few empty seats just before tipoff, but most of Assembly Hall is packed, including the balconies. Indiana coaches are wearing red quarter-zips with an "RMK" patch for the late Bob Knight, and players are wearing white warmups shirts with the same patch and "Bob Knight" printed on the back.
7:45 p.m. – About 15 minutes from tipoff, Ohio State is favored by 1.5 points, and the over/under is 148.5 points, according to the SI Sportsbook. It's about as close as you can get to a must-win game for Indiana despite it being just Jan. 6.
7:44 p.m. – Indiana starters remain the same from the Nebraska game: Xavier Johnson, Trey Galloway, Mackenzie Mgbako, Malik Reneau and Kel'el Ware. For Ohio State, it's Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle Jr., Evan Mahaffey, Jamison Battle and Felix Okpara. Sophomore guards Thornton (17.4 ppg) and Gayle (14.9 ppg) lead the Buckeyes in scoring, along with Minnesota transfer Jamison Battle (14.9 ppg, 47.4% 3-point shooting).
7:38 p.m. – The play of Xavier Johnson tonight is obviously something to keep an eye on. He returned to action Wednesday at Nebraska after missing seven games, but coach Mike Woodson called his 14 minutes "awful" and said he didn't play his usual minutes because he's still working his way into game shape. He is capable of giving Indiana's offense a boost and helping a defense that has struggled to guard opposing 3-point shooters.
7:00 p.m. – Indiana point guard Xavier Johnson and forward Malik Reneau are both in uniform and participating in pregame warmups. Both were listed questionable on the pregame availability report, but it looks like they're good to go. Ohio State will be without freshman Devin Royal, who's averaging 2.1 points per game.
Related stories on Indiana basketball
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- POINT SPREAD: Indiana has a critical Big Ten game with Ohio State on Saturday night at Assembly Hall, and the oddsmakers figure it will be a close game. The point spread has been moving a lot since it's opening release. Here's the latest on the point spread, plus a great history vs. the numbers on both teams. CLICK HERE
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- RENEAU HAVING BREAKOUT YEAR: Malik Reneau went from a backup forward as a freshman to Indiana's leading scorer as a sophomore, thanks to working with Calbert Cheaney, better conditioning and an improved 3-point shot. Only two players in the Big Ten have made a larger increase in scoring from last season. CLICK HERE
- IU NEEDS MORE FROM JOHNSON, GALLOWAY: Indiana senior point guard Xavier Johnson was held scoreless in his return from injury Wednesday at Nebraska. Fellow team captain and guard Trey Galloway was outplayed by the Cornhuskers' backcourt as well. Coach Mike Woodson counted on them to be better, and Indiana's fate depends on their improvement. CLICK HERE
