IU basketball gets off the mat, shows fight in erasing 16-point deficit to beat Maryland
IU rallied from a 16-point deficit Sunday to defeat Maryland 83-78 in College Park. Here are three reasons why:
Turnovers
Carelessness with the ball hadn’t been an issue for Indiana recently. The Hoosiers posted a single-game turnover rate above 17.4% just once in the previous month. That trend reversed itself in a bad way across the first half Sunday.
IU committed nine first-half turnovers in College Park, those giveaways leading directly to 10 Maryland points. The Hoosiers only managed two the other way, finishing minus-eight in points off turnovers across those 20 minutes.
Maryland’s length gave Kel’el Ware some trouble, and despite five first-half 3-pointers, the lack of familiar post offense left Indiana’s offense unmoored. Those turnovers exacerbated IU’s inconsistencies across a first half that ended with the Hoosiers trailing by 10.
INSIDER: This was what Mike Woodson envisioned IU would be. He's left wondering what could have been.
DOYEL: IU can't miss as Xavier Johnson, Hoosiers finally play like team of Mike Woodson's dreams
Offense catches fire
Consistent shot making has, at the risk of oversimplifying the issue, been a tremendous weakness for the Hoosiers this winter.
Even given favorable matchups, even when IU’s bigs have produced efficient offense, even when Indiana managed to put opponents in foul trouble, offense has just never come easily or steadily for Mike Woodson’s team.
That the Hoosiers managed what they did against the Big Ten’s most efficient defense in league play made Sunday’s performance all the more remarkable. After falling behind by 16, Indiana rode a wave of momentum that saw the Hoosiers hit 15-of-20 field goal attempts to begin the second half. That built run after run after run, slicing up Maryland’s advantage before eventually retaking the lead inside 10 minutes to go.
More: IU was on the verge of being blown out vs. Maryland. Then Xavier Johnson subbed in.
Mackenzie Mgbako looked every bit the top-10 recruit, scoring 24. Ware struggled for offense but never lost touch at the other end of the floor. Malik Reneau added 14, while Xavier Johnson and Trey Galloway combined to hand out 10 assists.
It was an excellent offensive afternoon, from a team too often unable to say that this season.
Hoosiers complete comeback
Behind a remarkable offensive display, complete with some well-above-average free-throw shooting, Indiana started March with its first win streak since December.
The Hoosiers finished the second half with just seven missed field goals in the second half, a stark departure from some of their offensive inefficiencies across the course of February.
Indeed, Woodson’s team can justifiably claim they’re playing some of their best basketball entering college basketball’s pivotal month. Where it will land the Hoosiers is difficult to say, but after the struggles of January and February, they’ll be happy to cash some deserved results.
Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.
Indiana box score vs. Maryland
INDIANA (16-13): Mgbako 8-15 4-4 24, Reneau 5-8 4-4 14, Ware 4-8 1-1 9, Cupps 2-2 0-0 5, Galloway 5-11 2-4 12, Johnson 5-7 2-3 13, Leal 1-1 0-0 3, Walker 1-2 1-1 3, Gunn 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 31-55 14-17 83.
MARYLAND (15-15): Geronimo 4-5 0-0 9, Reese 6-10 1-1 13, Scott 5-15 1-2 15, Long 4-6 2-2 12, Young 8-18 5-5 22, Harris-Smith 2-6 0-0 4, Kaiser 1-2 0-0 3, Swanton-Rodger 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-62 9-10 78.
Halftime—Maryland 43-33. 3-Point Goals_Indiana 7-16 (Mgbako 4-8, Cupps 1-1, Johnson 1-1, Leal 1-1, Reneau 0-1, Ware 0-1, Galloway 0-3), Maryland 9-24 (Scott 4-10, Long 2-3, Geronimo 1-1, Kaiser 1-2, Young 1-6, Harris-Smith 0-2). Rebounds_Indiana 32 (Ware 15), Maryland 24 (Reese 11). Assists_Indiana 14 (Johnson 6), Maryland 12 (Young 4). Total Fouls_Indiana 10, Maryland 15.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 3 reasons Indiana basketball overcame 16-point deficit to beat Maryland
