[Postgame 3-2-1] What We Learned From Indiana's victory against Miami (Ohio)
We break down three key stats, two observations, and one lingering question from Indiana's win against Miami (Ohio).
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA. — In its final non-conference game before a week of conference play, Indiana hosted Miami (OH) on Friday evening in Bloomington.
Indiana came out of the gates strong, leading by as many as a dozen in the first half. But the Hoosiers allowed the RedHawks to stick around and maintain a single-digit margin through the first ten minutes of the second half.
“We did get off to a great start. We went to the bench, then they were able to get back in it. We couldn't find it,” Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said postgame. “These are growing pains, man. When you get a team down, you just got to keep stepping and building. We just didn't do that early on.”
Indiana was led by Malik Reneau, who led all scorers with 19 as four Hoosiers reached double-figures for the second straight game.
Here are three stats, two additional observations, and one lingering question from Indiana's 76-57 victory against Miami (Ohio).
Did you miss yesterday's edition of the postgame show?
3 Meaningful Stats
1. Ballo secures first double-double in Hoosier uniform
For the second straight summer, Mike Woodson and his staff brought in a big man in hoping to transform him into an intricate part of the offense. Kel’el Ware and Oumar Ballo came to Bloomington in different situations, but the playbook has remained the same.
Ballo collected his first double-double on Friday night, scoring 14 points and hauling in 18 rebounds.
“I'm pleased with his play. This is really the first time Ballo in his career has been featured. I mean, he's such a big load,” Woodson said. “We had the size advantage tonight. I thought we took advantage of it.”
In addition to his output in points and rebounds, Ballo had an impressive day passing the basketball, dishing out 6 assists to just a pair of turnovers.
The defense has always been a staple of the Arizona transfer’s game, but at Indiana, Woodson wants him to be the team’s focal point, something Ballo has confidence he can accomplish.
“Coach have a lot of trust in me to making the right play.”
2. Indiana held the RedHawks to 21 second-half points
After allowing 46 points in the final 20 minutes on Tuesday against Sam Houston State, Woodson expressed frustration in his team’s lackluster defensive play.
“Giving up 46 points in a half, that's a bit too much for any team,” Woodson said. “We really got to focus in on trying to limit teams between 35, 34, 35 points a half. You do that, you put yourself in position to win a lot of games.”
Friday night provided a change in fortune for Indiana, holding Miami (OH) to 21 points, the lowest amount an opponent has scored against the Hoosiers this season.
After putting on a three-point clinic in the first half, the RedHawks were 7-of-30 (23.3%) from the field and 4-of-16 from beyond the arc in the second half.
“I'll take that all day long,” a grinning Woodson said. “I know if we do that, we'll put ourselves in position to win basketball games.”
3. Mgbako and Tucker combine to shoot 2-for-11
Although four Hoosiers scored in double figures, two struggled mightily.
Mackenzie Mgbako and Bryson Tucker had their worst individual performances of the season on offense.
Mgbako’s inability on offense affected his defense to the point that Woodson had to take him out for his lack of intensity on the defensive end. The sophomore played just ten minutes in the second half and was frustrated on the bench.
“He didn't have a good night. I ain't taking anything. Mack has been playing pretty good basketball for us. He had a tough night,” Woodson said of the sophomore star. “Again, we'll bounce back. We'll start back on the practice floor tomorrow, get him back going, get him ready for Monday.”
Tucker had his first truly forgetful outing of his college career, finishing the game o-for-4 from the field while committing three turnovers. All of Tucker’s shots fell short and lacked any arc; but for better or for worse, the freshman did not lack any of confidence.
The duo’s ability to find their spot and make tough shots will be necessary for Indiana in conference play. However, the defensive intensity needs to remain no matter what happens on the offensive end.
2 Important Observations
1. Indiana has no killer instinct
Before pulling away in the second half, Indiana found itself in a rock fight with a sub-150 KenPom opponent. The lead was a dozen at the halfway point of the first half, but Indiana could never push away, allowing the RedHawks to gain confidence and pull within three at the half.
The lead was single digits for the first 12 minutes of the second half, but a Galloway corner three pushed the lead out to 11 and ballooned up to as many as 21 just six minutes later.
“There's a lot of miscues that we had that we shouldn't have,” Galloway said. “If we clean those up, it takes away a lot of those buckets that they got.”
Evaporating leads have become a nightly ordeal for the Hoosiers. Against higher-caliber opponents, it will come back to bite them. Playing in these non-conference games gives Indiana a chance to find its identity as a team, but keeping teams within reach for too long is a habit that the team must break before conference play kicks in.
2. Defensive miscommunication continues to be costly.
As previously mentioned, Indiana’s struggles in the middle-ten minutes of games have mostly been due to defensive lapses. RedHawk shooters were wide open numerous times throughout the game on Friday night, leading to frustrating moments.
“Overall just really kind of focusing on that and making sure we clean up everything with that,” Galloway said. “It's little things, but we got to make sure we take care of that.”
Indiana’s defensive struggles reared their ugly head at times Friday, leaving shooters wide open. Miami cooled off in the second half, but there were still plenty of looks that good teams will make the Hoosiers pay for.
Competition will stiffen starting next week, so it is imperative that Indiana hone in on defense ahead of its conference opener with the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
1 Lingering Question
Can Indiana continue to get away with lackluster stretches next week and beyond?
There were times in Friday night’s victory when Indiana looked like a completely different team on both ends of the floor, moving the ball, finding open looks, and converting.
At other times, Indiana looked like the team that went 1-and-2 in The Bahamas. The only thing that has been consistent about the Hoosiers through nine games is that they've been inconsistent.
Stretches of out-of-control offense coupled with defensive lapses can be the difference between wins and losses in conference play. Indiana has the talent to be a top-15 team in the country, but the focus dwindles during games.
Putting together a spirited effort for an entire 40-minute game on Monday against Minnesota could set the tone for the rest of the conference season.