Indiana University Athletics
Dominant Jackson-Davis the Key to Hoosiers' Win over Terps
1/5/2021 12:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Sometimes the difference is having the best player on the court.
Indiana struggled through the first half of its 63-55 win over Maryland, totaling 21 points in the first 20 minutes, shooting just 30.0 percent overall and missing all nine of its 3-point attempts along the way. All-everything forward Trayce Jackson-Davis scored five points on 2-of-9 shooting, and although he grabbed six rebounds, he wasn't his normal, dominant self.
The second half was a very different story.
Jackson-Davis scored 17 points after halftime on 7-of-9 shooting, he grabbed nine rebounds—including four offensive boards—and he added an assist and two steals to help IU rally from a six-point halftime deficit and knock off the Terrapins.
The sophomore finished with 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting, he went 4-of-6 from the free-throw line, he posted 15 rebounds and drew seven fouls while not being whistled for a foul himself. He was everything the Hoosiers needed when they needed it most, and Maryland simply didn't have an answer inside.
"Trayce was big," said head coach Archie Miller. "He obviously flipped it around in the second half, which is what good players do. I didn't think he could have played any weaker around the rim in the first half, and then in the second half, he was much, much more himself. He had a great second half for us."
Miller obviously was disappointed with how his star performed in the first 20 minutes, and he didn't hesitate to call out the slow start.
"We have to get Trayce moving," Miller said. "He has to get his motor going earlier in the game for us to be successful in the first half. He's such an important guy. He goes 2-for-9, and we go 0-for-9 from three in the first half. You can't play much worse."
Jackson-Davis credited Miller with a halftime pep talk that got him going.
"My shots were not falling in the first half, but at halftime, Coach put emphasis to just keep attacking the basket," Jackson-Davis said. "Those shots are going to start falling like every day in practice, so just never lose your confidence. Just keep shooting the ball and keep going at them, because eventually they are going to wear down and eventually, we are going to get that rhythm."
Hoosier fans everywhere also got a scare in the second half when Jackson-Davis came up limping after banging knees with a Maryland player on a drive to the basket. He started rubbing his right leg and flexing it as he made his way to the free-throw line, limping in a why that had more than a few people concerned.
Worried, that is, until he looked over at the bench and made it clear that he was banged up, but he wasn't about to come out of the game.
"I hurt my knee, and then I saw there was like six to eight minutes left," Jackson-Davis said. "There was a lot of time left in the game, and I knew that at this point in the game, I could not come out. I was just trying to play as hard as I can. I think getting hurt even made me more focused and up my level of play."
Miller doesn't have an answer for why Jackson-Davis hasn't always hit the court running this season, but he knows his forward is critical to IU's success.
"I wish I could tip him off earlier that the game started 20 minutes ago," Miller said. "If I had that information, I would give it to him. Halftime, he was fine. He looked at me and said he was ready to go. That is just who he is. He is a guy who has the ability to respond because he cares a lot. He was a much different player in the second half. He had a big impact on the game. Moving forward, hopefully we can get him going earlier, especially around the basket. I think that is what frustrated him the most."
Indiana struggled through the first half of its 63-55 win over Maryland, totaling 21 points in the first 20 minutes, shooting just 30.0 percent overall and missing all nine of its 3-point attempts along the way. All-everything forward Trayce Jackson-Davis scored five points on 2-of-9 shooting, and although he grabbed six rebounds, he wasn't his normal, dominant self.
The second half was a very different story.
Jackson-Davis scored 17 points after halftime on 7-of-9 shooting, he grabbed nine rebounds—including four offensive boards—and he added an assist and two steals to help IU rally from a six-point halftime deficit and knock off the Terrapins.
The sophomore finished with 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting, he went 4-of-6 from the free-throw line, he posted 15 rebounds and drew seven fouls while not being whistled for a foul himself. He was everything the Hoosiers needed when they needed it most, and Maryland simply didn't have an answer inside.
"Trayce was big," said head coach Archie Miller. "He obviously flipped it around in the second half, which is what good players do. I didn't think he could have played any weaker around the rim in the first half, and then in the second half, he was much, much more himself. He had a great second half for us."
Miller obviously was disappointed with how his star performed in the first 20 minutes, and he didn't hesitate to call out the slow start.
"We have to get Trayce moving," Miller said. "He has to get his motor going earlier in the game for us to be successful in the first half. He's such an important guy. He goes 2-for-9, and we go 0-for-9 from three in the first half. You can't play much worse."
Jackson-Davis credited Miller with a halftime pep talk that got him going.
"My shots were not falling in the first half, but at halftime, Coach put emphasis to just keep attacking the basket," Jackson-Davis said. "Those shots are going to start falling like every day in practice, so just never lose your confidence. Just keep shooting the ball and keep going at them, because eventually they are going to wear down and eventually, we are going to get that rhythm."
Hoosier fans everywhere also got a scare in the second half when Jackson-Davis came up limping after banging knees with a Maryland player on a drive to the basket. He started rubbing his right leg and flexing it as he made his way to the free-throw line, limping in a why that had more than a few people concerned.
Worried, that is, until he looked over at the bench and made it clear that he was banged up, but he wasn't about to come out of the game.
"I hurt my knee, and then I saw there was like six to eight minutes left," Jackson-Davis said. "There was a lot of time left in the game, and I knew that at this point in the game, I could not come out. I was just trying to play as hard as I can. I think getting hurt even made me more focused and up my level of play."
Miller doesn't have an answer for why Jackson-Davis hasn't always hit the court running this season, but he knows his forward is critical to IU's success.
"I wish I could tip him off earlier that the game started 20 minutes ago," Miller said. "If I had that information, I would give it to him. Halftime, he was fine. He looked at me and said he was ready to go. That is just who he is. He is a guy who has the ability to respond because he cares a lot. He was a much different player in the second half. He had a big impact on the game. Moving forward, hopefully we can get him going earlier, especially around the basket. I think that is what frustrated him the most."
Players Mentioned
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