Thoughts on a 71-67 win against the Spartans:
As Michigan State did Michigan State things, pushing the pace and grabbing offensive rebounds, it looked like a long night was in store for the Hoosiers. They found themselves down 12 points (20-8) with 11:17 left in the first half.
But Indiana had a trick up its sleeve. The Hoosiers went to a zone defense and kept it going the rest of the game.
Mike Woodson has said he’s not a fan of zone defense. But it’s now the second straight game the Hoosiers have done it. And tonight, it was the biggest key in Indiana’s victory.
“I thought the zone saved us tonight,” Woodson said on the Peacock broadcast after the contest.
Michigan State struggled mightily against it in the first half. The Spartans rarely found the middle of the zone and started settling for 3-pointers, one of its few weaknesses as a team this season. They don’t take many of them, even sporting a lower 3-point rate than Indiana this season. And when they take them, they don’t usually go in, as the Spartans entered the contest shooting just 29.3 percent from deep.
Beyond turning the Spartans into jump shooters, the zone also helped negate their potent fast-break attack. It slowed them down. Took them out of their rhythm. So much so that they failed to score the final 4:11 of the first half.
On the other end of the court, Oumar Ballo dominated. Michigan State had no answers for his size and strength, especially when he got good position down low. Ballo’s 12 first-half points led the way for Indiana, as the Hoosiers erased the 12-point deficit to lead at half, 32-29.
The Hoosiers never trailed again.
Michigan State did find the middle of the zone better in the second half. And the Spartans also started screening the top of it to find scoring opportunities. But they never solved it enough to make Indiana think twice about it. The Spartans ended the game just 4-of-23 (17 percent) from 3-point range with an effective field goal percentage of only 42 percent. A strong night from the line (21-of-25, 84 percent) did help them eclipse a point per possession (1.02).
Ballo scored Indiana’s first bucket of the second half, but it ended up being his only field goal attempt over the final 20 minutes. He played only eight second-half minutes due to foul trouble and fouled out with 23 seconds to go. But Malik Reneau picked up right where he left off, as Indiana fed him instead of Ballo. Reneau pumped in 16 second-half points on 7-of-11 shooting.
Indiana also got enough scoring from its backcourt to help seal the deal. Myles Rice drove the lane twice and hit two shots at the bucket. Trey Galloway made three baskets of his own: one ahead in transition, one on a nice pass from Ballo in the paint and another on a lay-up.
As Michigan State fouled late to try and extend the game, Indiana wasn’t perfect from the line. However, the Hoosiers hit enough of their free throws in the closing minutes not to blow the lead, though the Spartans got it as close as one point.
Everything looked lined up for Tom Izzo to break Bob Knight’s all-time Big Ten wins record this evening at home in East Lansing. But the Hoosiers spoiled the affair. It was a desperately needed win after losing five straight and seven of eight. And it came against a Quad 1 opponent, giving Indiana a little more life for the NCAA tournament conversation.
Despite the tumult of the last week, the Hoosiers ain’t dead yet.
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
Filed to: Michigan State Sparatans
