Thursday, March 7
Urbana-Champaign, IL
8:00 PM
Indiana University
16-14
92
at
74
Illinois
10-19
1
2
F
Indiana
52
40
92
Illinois
42
32
74
Hoosiers Handle Illinois, 92-74
3/7/2019 10:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By: Pete DiPrimio, IUHoosiers.com
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Rob Phinisee is back.
You know, the Indiana freshman who plays like a senior, the Lafayette guy who has found a Bloomington home while ruthlessly scoring, defending, passing and, even in the veteran-driven Big Ten, leading.
Illinois paid a Thursday night price. The Hoosiers continued their surge back to postseason relevance, and made it look offensively easy with a 92-74 victory at State Farm Center.
Repeat -- offensively easy.
IU found a scoring touch it hadn't shown since roughing up Jacksonville for 94 points a few days before Christmas. The Hoosiers (16-14) shot 55 percent from the field, had 17 assists against seven turnovers and had a 52-26 edge in points in the paint en route to their third straight victory.
"I didn't think defensively we were very good," coach Archie Miller told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during his post-game radio show, "but it kind of feels good to score."
Yes, senor forward Juwan Morgan was a near double-double beast (20 points, nine rebounds) and sophomore forward Justin Smith continued his renaissance with a third straight double-figure effort (15 points to follow his career-high 24 points against Michigan State), but it was Phinisee who set the full-throttle tone.
The concussion that had robbed him of his difference-making December form was far in his rearview mirror. He shredded the Illini again and again, as much with his decision making as his physical play.
By halftime Phinisee had nine points, had made 4-of-7 shots and totaled three assists without a turnover. He finished with a career-high 17 points, four more than his previous high against Iowa. It was the third time in the last four games he had scored in double figures. He had five assists and no turnovers, giving him 10 and one in his last two games.
"It was probably Rob's best game as a college player," Miller told Fischer. "Coming on the road, to get 17 points and five rebounds with zero turnovers and getting heavy minutes while guarding the other team's good guards."
Phinisee got plenty of backcourt help from junior guard Devonte Green, who had 11 points, six assists and no turnovers.
"Those guys were 11-0 in assists-turnovers," Miller told Fischer. "Against Illinois, it's rarely the case your perimeter guys can take care of the ball like that. They made Juwan and Justin a lot of easy baskets."
Hoosier health issues were ancient history. Center DeRon Davis was over the illness that had limited him last week, and the ankle injury that had cost him multiple January games. Forward Race Thompson continued his comeback from a severe concussion that had sidelined him for 24 games.
Add renewed confidence and you have a team surging with next week's Big Ten tourney looming in Chicago.
"We have a lot of guys with that look in their eyes, that they like to play, that they want to be around each other," Miller told Fischer. "That's what you hope for at the end of the season. Especially one in which had a lot of ups and downs."
IU has gone from NCAA tourney lock to out-of-the-postseason misery to March Madness bubble speculation.
The bottom-line reality -- just win.
"You have to control what you can," Miller told Fischer. "As long as you continue to win, you continue to position yourself for the postseason. That starts with the Big Ten tournament and the seedings."
Illinois (11-19) had rocked opponents with defensive pressure, an approach that had delivered a victory over Big Ten contender Michigan State, but not against the Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in early January.
The Hoosiers handled it then, and again Thursday night.
They inched ahead 10-7 early, fell behind 16-12, then surged for a 20-16 advantage.
Green scored six straight points as IU went ahead by seven. Illinois went on a brief three-point shooting frenzy (6-for-11 at one point) to avoid a double-digit deficit.
Not for long.
The Hoosiers carved up the Illini's man-to-man pressure defense so effectively -- pushing ahead 37-26 -- that Illinois switched to a zone.
It didn't matter.
IU punished with balance that delivered eight players with at least three first-half points. It finished with a 52-42 halftime lead and was on pace to match its season high of 104 points from its Nov. 6 105-55 win over Chicago State.
Even more impressive, the Hoosiers had a 30-12 scoring edge in the paint, hit six three-pointers and committed only two turnovers against the Big Ten's best defense in forcing turnovers.
"We had a lot of guys being unselfish, especially in the first half," Miller told Fischer. "That's was a big key, not turn it over against them, and we really handled that."
IU went for the jugular to start the second half. It quickly built the lead to 15 points, then 19, then 21.
Illinois was finished.
"We got some stops and defensive rebounds," Miller told Fischer. "We won the rebound battle, the turnover battle, and we're getting better in transition. Our defense to offense has kicked back in gear and we're getting easy ones in transition."
The result -- IU is rolling, with no end in sight, starting Sunday at home against Rutgers
"Rutgers handed us a pretty good one about a month ago (a 66-58 IU loss)," Miller told Fischer. "They're a huge team. They're playing with a lot of confidence down the stretch. If we're not ready to go, we'll have a hard time.
"We'll have to be ready to play physical on the glass, rebound in the post, do a much better job of taking care of the ball and scoring the ball than we did the last time.
"It will be a quick turnaround. We have to continue to be the team we have been the last few weeks. Be ready to do what we ask them to do."
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Rob Phinisee is back.
You know, the Indiana freshman who plays like a senior, the Lafayette guy who has found a Bloomington home while ruthlessly scoring, defending, passing and, even in the veteran-driven Big Ten, leading.
Illinois paid a Thursday night price. The Hoosiers continued their surge back to postseason relevance, and made it look offensively easy with a 92-74 victory at State Farm Center.
Repeat -- offensively easy.
IU found a scoring touch it hadn't shown since roughing up Jacksonville for 94 points a few days before Christmas. The Hoosiers (16-14) shot 55 percent from the field, had 17 assists against seven turnovers and had a 52-26 edge in points in the paint en route to their third straight victory.
"I didn't think defensively we were very good," coach Archie Miller told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during his post-game radio show, "but it kind of feels good to score."
Yes, senor forward Juwan Morgan was a near double-double beast (20 points, nine rebounds) and sophomore forward Justin Smith continued his renaissance with a third straight double-figure effort (15 points to follow his career-high 24 points against Michigan State), but it was Phinisee who set the full-throttle tone.
The concussion that had robbed him of his difference-making December form was far in his rearview mirror. He shredded the Illini again and again, as much with his decision making as his physical play.
By halftime Phinisee had nine points, had made 4-of-7 shots and totaled three assists without a turnover. He finished with a career-high 17 points, four more than his previous high against Iowa. It was the third time in the last four games he had scored in double figures. He had five assists and no turnovers, giving him 10 and one in his last two games.
"It was probably Rob's best game as a college player," Miller told Fischer. "Coming on the road, to get 17 points and five rebounds with zero turnovers and getting heavy minutes while guarding the other team's good guards."
Phinisee got plenty of backcourt help from junior guard Devonte Green, who had 11 points, six assists and no turnovers.
"Those guys were 11-0 in assists-turnovers," Miller told Fischer. "Against Illinois, it's rarely the case your perimeter guys can take care of the ball like that. They made Juwan and Justin a lot of easy baskets."
Hoosier health issues were ancient history. Center DeRon Davis was over the illness that had limited him last week, and the ankle injury that had cost him multiple January games. Forward Race Thompson continued his comeback from a severe concussion that had sidelined him for 24 games.
Add renewed confidence and you have a team surging with next week's Big Ten tourney looming in Chicago.
"We have a lot of guys with that look in their eyes, that they like to play, that they want to be around each other," Miller told Fischer. "That's what you hope for at the end of the season. Especially one in which had a lot of ups and downs."
IU has gone from NCAA tourney lock to out-of-the-postseason misery to March Madness bubble speculation.
The bottom-line reality -- just win.
"You have to control what you can," Miller told Fischer. "As long as you continue to win, you continue to position yourself for the postseason. That starts with the Big Ten tournament and the seedings."
Illinois (11-19) had rocked opponents with defensive pressure, an approach that had delivered a victory over Big Ten contender Michigan State, but not against the Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in early January.
The Hoosiers handled it then, and again Thursday night.
They inched ahead 10-7 early, fell behind 16-12, then surged for a 20-16 advantage.
Green scored six straight points as IU went ahead by seven. Illinois went on a brief three-point shooting frenzy (6-for-11 at one point) to avoid a double-digit deficit.
Not for long.
The Hoosiers carved up the Illini's man-to-man pressure defense so effectively -- pushing ahead 37-26 -- that Illinois switched to a zone.
It didn't matter.
IU punished with balance that delivered eight players with at least three first-half points. It finished with a 52-42 halftime lead and was on pace to match its season high of 104 points from its Nov. 6 105-55 win over Chicago State.
Even more impressive, the Hoosiers had a 30-12 scoring edge in the paint, hit six three-pointers and committed only two turnovers against the Big Ten's best defense in forcing turnovers.
"We had a lot of guys being unselfish, especially in the first half," Miller told Fischer. "That's was a big key, not turn it over against them, and we really handled that."
IU went for the jugular to start the second half. It quickly built the lead to 15 points, then 19, then 21.
Illinois was finished.
"We got some stops and defensive rebounds," Miller told Fischer. "We won the rebound battle, the turnover battle, and we're getting better in transition. Our defense to offense has kicked back in gear and we're getting easy ones in transition."
The result -- IU is rolling, with no end in sight, starting Sunday at home against Rutgers
"Rutgers handed us a pretty good one about a month ago (a 66-58 IU loss)," Miller told Fischer. "They're a huge team. They're playing with a lot of confidence down the stretch. If we're not ready to go, we'll have a hard time.
"We'll have to be ready to play physical on the glass, rebound in the post, do a much better job of taking care of the ball and scoring the ball than we did the last time.
"It will be a quick turnaround. We have to continue to be the team we have been the last few weeks. Be ready to do what we ask them to do."
Team Stats
IND
ILLINI
FG%
.554
.500
3FG%
.350
.476
FT%
.722
.545
RB
35
27
TO
7
10
STL
6
2
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
20
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
15
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
Guard
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