IU basketball snaps skid vs. Iowa: Anthony Leal scores career-high, Kel'el Ware shows guts

BLOOMINGTON -- A back-and-forth second half saw IU (13-8, 5-5 Big Ten) snap its three-game losing streak to beat Iowa (12-9, 4-6), 74-68.

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Kel’el Ware dominates

Kel’el Ware looked 100% recovered from his right ankle injury in his return on Tuesday. After the injury he suffered in practice caused Ware to miss two games, he made an emphatic return against the Hawkeyes. Ware finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and two assists.

Ware’s fingerprints were all over this game from the jump. He led the Hoosiers in scoring and rebounds, but his biggest impact was on the defensive end.

It wasn’t just the three blocked shots Ware had. Ware altered several other attempts near the rim, and it got to the point where Iowa players seemed genuinely afraid to shoot while he was in the vicinity. Rim pressure is one thing, but when a big man reaches the level of complete rim deterrence, the defense is in a good spot. Iowa was 17-for-43 (39.5%) on 2-pointers thanks to Ware’s presence inside.

The projected first-round NBA pick showed why he’s so important to Indiana on Tuesday. His ability to score inside, stretch the floor and protect the basket all showed in this game.

Malik Reneau, Xavier Johnson go down

IU got one big man back but quickly lost another. Sophomore forward Malik Reneau went out less than three minutes into the contest. Reneau was defending in space when he fell over and injured his right foot. After limping back to the IU sideline from the tunnel, Reneau exited the court with the assistance of crutches.

Reneau entered Tuesday as Indiana’s leading scorer with 16.7 points per game. Fresh off a pair of 20-point performances, he’s easily the most reliable option this team has on offense.

Without Reneau, the Hoosiers don’t have anyone they can throw the ball to and consistently expect to get a bucket. That showed in the second half when IU’s offense faltered a bit.

An extended stretch without Reneau could spell trouble for Indiana. Indiana might not have anyone it trusts to score for them at any time. Playing without Reneau against the Big Ten’s best defenses is no easy task.

There were more injury worries later when sixth-year point guard Xavier Johnson hurt his arm/wrist and had to leave the floor for the Hoosiers’ locker room.

Johnson hit the ground hard after being fouled at the rim. He rolled on the ground in obvious pain before being attended to by IU’s training staff. Once he was helped to his feet, Johnson walked straight to IU’s locker room.

Anthony Leal stepped up in Johnson's absence and finished with a career-high 13 points... after entering the game with just 14 points all season.

Free throws are huge again

Free-throw shooting continues to be an Achilles' heel for this IU team. After shooting 12-of-22 at the line practically lost IU the game at Illinois on Saturday, the Hoosiers had another abysmal outing at the charity stripe. IU shot 14-of-22 (63.6%) on free throws while Iowa was 16-of-19 (84.2%).

The Hoosiers shot 65.9% on free throws coming into Tuesday. That mark is the second-lowest mark in the Big Ten. When it came down to it, Iowa’s biggest advantage was at the line. The Hawkeyes shoot 76.8% this year, and that number will only improve after this game.

Losing games because of free throw shooting is one of the more demoralizing ways to go down. They’re freebies for a reason, but Indiana can never capitalize when it earns those shots.

The constant missed foul shots is a problem that hasn’t — and likely won’t — resolve itself this season. At this point in the season, this team is what it is: A horrific free-throw shooting team. The poor shooting at the stripe almost cost IU for a second straight outing.

Indiana stats vs. Iowa

IOWA (12-9): Freeman 2-3 0-0 4, Krikke 1-9 0-0 2, Pa.Sandfort 7-16 7-7 26, Dix 3-8 3-4 10, Perkins 9-18 4-6 22, McCaffery 0-3 0-0 0, Dembele 0-4 0-0 0, Harding 1-3 2-2 4, Pr.Sandfort 0-0 0-0 0, Bowen 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-65 16-19 68.

INDIANA (13-8): Mgbako 4-17 1-2 11, Reneau 1-1 0-0 2, Ware 8-10 6-11 23, Galloway 3-8 3-4 9, Johnson 3-8 2-3 9, Walker 2-5 0-0 4, Leal 4-6 2-2 13, Cupps 1-1 0-0 3, Gunn 0-1 0-0 0, Sparks 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-57 14-22 74.

Halftime—Indiana 39-28. 3-Point Goals_Iowa 6-22 (Pa.Sandfort 5-12, Dix 1-4, Harding 0-1, McCaffery 0-1, Dembele 0-2, Perkins 0-2), Indiana 8-22 (Leal 3-4, Mgbako 2-8, Cupps 1-1, Ware 1-1, Johnson 1-3, Gunn 0-1, Walker 0-1, Galloway 0-3). Rebounds_Iowa 26 (Pa.Sandfort 8), Indiana 37 (Ware 10). Assists_Iowa 10 (Perkins 3), Indiana 18 (Galloway 4). Total Fouls_Iowa 16, Indiana 17.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 3 reasons Indiana basketball beat Iowa: Kel'el Ware, Anthony Leal step up