LIVE BLOG: Follow Indiana's Game Against Northwestern in Real Time
EVANSTON, Ill. – It's a battle for second place in the Big Ten between the No. 14 Indiana Hoosiers and the Northwestern Wildcats on Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Welcome to our live blog, where we'll keep you updated with all the news and views in real time from press row, with opinion and highlights thrown in as well. The most recent items are at the top, so just keep refreshing and you won't miss a beat.
9:59 p.m. – Buie's floater gave Northwestern a two-point lead with about four seconds remaining, and Hood-Schifino's half-court heave hits off the rim. Northwestern wins 64-62. Crazy final sequence.
9:56 p.m. – Hood-Schifino committed a costly turnover trying to pass the ball to Jackson-Davis down low. Northwestern responds with a layup from Boo Buie to take a 62-58 lead with less than a minute remaining.
9:53 p.m. – Jackson-Davis finishes a layup through a foul from Barnhizer, and Northwestern's lead is down to two points with 2:35 remaining. Northwestern has scored just 19 points this half after a 39-point first half. Jackson-Davis has 14 second half points.
9:48 p.m. – Jackson-Davis makes a pair of free throws, and it's a five-point Northwestern lead with 5:05 remaining. On the replay, it sure looked like Northwestern goaltending on the foul. Jackson-Davis was holding the ball over the rim.
9:42 p.m. – We're on Trayce Jackson-Davis triple-double watch tonight. He's up to 12 points, nine rebounds and eight assists with 6:58 remaining.
9:40 p.m. – Thompson completes the old-fashioned three-point play, cutting Northwestern's lead to six points. It was another instance of Indiana taking advantage of Northwestern double-teaming with it's opposite forward. Berry answers with a 3 to get Northwestern's lead back to nine points with seven minutes to play.
9:34 p.m. – Another nice pass from Reneau leads to a dunk from Jackson-Davis. Northwestern is having trouble defending Indiana's weak-side big man because the Wildcats are double-teaming the Indiana forward who has the ball with their weak-side defender. Nice adjustment from Woodson and the Hoosiers. Northwestern leads 51-44 midway through the second half.
9:29 p.m. – Jackson-Davis sinks a pair of free throws, and Indiana's deficit is single-digits for the first time since the 9-minute matrk of the second half. Boo Buie responds with a floater in the lane to get it back to a 49-38 Wildcats lead.
9:26 p.m. – Indiana catches a break as Robbie Beran rebounds the ball with a foot on the line. Galloway's shot hit the rim and was headed out of bounds. Indiana capitalizes with a dunk from Thompson off a Jackson-Davis assist. Northwestern leads 47-36.
9:23 p.m. – Jalen Hood Schifino and Miller Kopp knock down back-to-back 3-pointers from the corner, and Indiana's deficit is 11 points. Indiana fans have the building the loudest it's been all night.
9:15 p.m. – We're underway in the second half, and Indiana opens with two layups from Race Thompson and a 3-pointer from Trey Galloway. Indiana has put Jackson-Davis in more of a facilitating role early on, dishing out both assists to Thompson. Collins calls a timeout with Northwestern leading 42-27 with 17:39 to go.
9:00 p.m. – Northwestern hasn't shot the ball particularly well either – 5-for-18 from 3-point range – but it's a perfect 12-for-12 at the free throw line. Northwestern has three turnovers compared to Indiana's six. Indiana must find a way to get Jackson-Davis quick shots through the pick and roll, because Northwestern has swarmed him when he tries to post up. Indiana also 0-for-5 from 3.
8:57 p.m. – A pair of free throws from Jackson-Davis trims Northwestern's lead below 20 points heading into halftime. Buie and Audige lead the Wildcats with 11 points apiece, and Hood-Schifino has a team-high six points on 3-for-10 shooting. Northwestern leads 39-20 at halftime.
8:51 p.m. – Jalen Hood-Schifino air-balled an open 3 in the corner, and Indiana continues to struggle mightily on offense. Jackson-Davis has been close to a non-factor, attempting only three shots so far. Hood-Schifino is 3-for-9, and Kopp and Bates are a combined 0-for-5.
8:44 p.m. – Indiana trails Northwestern 35-17 at the under-4 media timeout. This final 3:36 of the first half could go a long way in deciding the game. Indiana's offense has struggled to get anything going – six turnovers and 6-for-18 shooting – but a little run here could go a long way. Hoosiers will simply have to play through the physicality tonight.
8:40 p.m. – Robbie Beran connects on a 3 from the top of the key after some sloppy turnovers from both teams. After an ill-advised shot from Tamar Bates, Hood-Schifino is called for a foul on the other end. Northwestern extends its lead to 33-15 with 4:44 left in the first half.
8:36 p.m. – Indiana lost track of Buie on the defensive rotation, and he made the Hoosiers pay by draining a wide-open 3-pointer. Woodson calls timeout. Indiana has no flow on offense right now, and Northwestern continues to be physical whenever a Hoosier enters the paint. Northwestern leads 28-13 with 7:02 left in the first half.
8:31 p.m. – Kopp is 0-for-2 from 3, and he picked up his second foul on the following possession. Indiana is shooting 38.5 percent so far and trails 23-12 with 7:34 remaining in the first half. Indiana hasn't scored in nearly six minutes.
8:25 p.m. – Mike Woodson picks up a technical foul after a foul on Geronimo. He's been visibly upset with the officiating all night, and rightly so. Northwestern is implementing a similar strategy it used to defeat Purdue – foul on every possession and dare the refs to call it. On the other end, the Hoosiers have been called for a couple hand checks.
8:23 p.m. – Three turnovers for Hood-Schifino in the first nine minutes. He's got to be stronger with the ball. The officials have allowed a ton of physicality so far. Audige is cooling off a bit, with two consecutive misses. Northwestern leads 17-12 midway through the first half.
8:19 p.m. – Audige drilled a 3-pointer from about five feet behind the arc. He's got 11 of Northwestern's 17 points through the first 8:27. On the other end, the Wildcats are being extremely physical with Indiana. It led to a Hood-Schifino turnover and a quick Geronimo foul after.
8:14 p.m. – Jordan Geronimo replaces Race Thompson and slams home an emphatic dunk off a nice pass from Trey Galloway to give IU a 12-11 lead. Trayce Jackson-Davis is getting hacked every time he touches the ball, and Mike Woodson is letting the refs know.
8:12 p.m. – Tamar Bates is the first Hoosier off the bench. He replaces Kopp, who just picked up his first foul. Northwestern leads 11-10 after two Ty Berry free throws.
8:08 p.m. – The midrange game for Hood-Schifino is working to perfection early on. Northwestern is so focused on Jackson-Davis rolling, that it opens the middle for Hood-Schifino. His pull-up should be there all night if Northwestern continues this defensive approach. Miller Kopp's first shot is off from 3, leading to a "F--- you, Miller" chant from the the Northwestern students. IU leads 10-9 at the under-16 timeout.
8:05 p.m. – Audige snuck past Jackson-Davis for a layup to open the scoring. Northwestern is going to swarm Jackson-Davis all night, but he was able to find Trey Galloway under the basket. Two free throws from Race Thompson on a Buie foul makes it 4-2, Indiana's lead through two and a half minutes of action.
8:02 p.m. – Northwestern brought a strong double-team on Trayce Jackson-Davis on the first possession, and his pass leads to a turnover. Jalen Hood-Schifino throws it out of bounds on the next possession. Tough start for the Indiana offense.
7:58 p.m. – Starters for Indiana: Jalen Hood-Schifino, Trey Galloway, Miller Kopp, Race Thompson and Trayce Jackson-Davis. For Northwestern, it's Boo Buie, Chase Audige, Ty Berry, Robbie Beran and Matthew Nicholson.
7:28 p.m. – Indiana point guard Xavier Johnson is NOT in uniform for pregame warmups, so he won't play. Johnson was not wearing a walking boot, which is an intriguing sign for his future availability this season. Johnson underwent surgery after breaking his foot on Dec. 17 at Kansas.
7:15 p.m. – Indiana sixth-year forward Race Thompson is in uniform for pregame warmups, so it looks like he'll be available for tonight's game. Thompson missed the Michigan game on Saturday.
Related stories on Indiana basketball
- HOW TO WATCH: Indiana basketball (18-7, 9-5) faces Northwestern (18-7, 9-5) on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. Here's how to watch, with game time and TV information, three keys to the game, the latest on the point spread, the coaching matchup, series history, stats, rankings and more. CLICK HERE
- OPENING LINE: Despite playing on the road and having lost to Northwestern earlier this season, No. 14 Indiana is a slight favorite when the two teams get together on Wednesday night in Evanston, Ill. Here's the latest on the point spread, and a great history on what both teams have done against the number this season. CLICK HERE
- KOPP RETURNS TO NORTHWESTERN: Miller Kopp played his first three seasons at Northwestern before transferring to Indiana last year, and Wednesday's matchup could be the last chance to beat his former team. CLICK HERE
- BUIE, AUDIGE LEAD NORTHWESTERN: Northwestern was picked to finish 13th in the Big Ten, but the Wildcats enter Wednesday's game tied for second place after beating No. 1 Purdue. Veteran guards Boo Buie and Chase Audige are a major reason for Northwestern's success, and they have Indiana coach Mike Woodson's focus ahead of Wednesday's battle for second place in the Big Ten. CLICK HERE
- WOODSON'S RADIO SHOW: Indiana coach Mike Woodson appeared on his weekly radio show 'Inside Indiana Basketball' on Monday night with play-by-play broadcaster Don Fischer. Woodson recapped Indiana's wins over Rutgers and Michigan, and looked ahead to Wednesday's game at Northwestern. CLICK HERE
- CHRIS COLLINS PREVIEWS INDIANA: Northwestern coach Chris Collins appeared on the Big Ten Network on Monday following the Wildcats' 64-58 win over No. 1 Purdue on Sunday. Here's what Collins said regarding Wednesday's matchup against No. 14 Indiana. CLICK HERE
- BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARDS: Indiana star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis earned his fourth consecutive Big Ten Player of the Week award on Monday, and point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. CLICK HERE
- NATIONAL MEDIA COMMENTS ON INDIANA: Indiana has won eight of its last nine games, drawing praise from college basketball analysts throughout the country. Here's where the Hoosiers stack up in various power rankings released on Monday, as well as comments from the national media on Indiana. CLICK HERE
- AP TOP 25: Indiana basketball climbed four spots in this week's Associated Press Top-25 poll, coming in at No. 14. Purdue dropped to No. 3 after Sunday's loss at Northwestern, and Alabama claimed its first No. 1 ranking of the season. Indiana and Purdue are the only Big Ten team's in this week's rankings. CLICK HERE
- BIG TEN TITLE RACE ALIVE: No. 1-ranked Purdue got beat again on Sunday, losing at Northwestern, and suddenly Indiana is just two games out of first in the Big Ten race. Can winning a title really be a real thing? CLICK HERE
