Indiana University Athletics
Toughness Takes the Lead in IU's Overtime Win
2/11/2021 3:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Consistency hasn't always been a strength of the Hoosiers this year.
Playing through adversity, on the other hand, hasn't been an issue.
Indiana wasn't good early at Northwestern, going scoreless for the first 5:35 of the game and falling behind 21-7 midway through the first half. The Hoosiers scored just 20 points in the first 20 minutes, and they missed their first six free-throw attempts. They went 7-of-29 from the floor overall and 4-of-13 from 3-point range in the first half. They also posted seven turnovers.
The Hoosiers looked rough.
But Archie Miller's team also has shown an ability to put bad possessions and even bad halves behind them, and they did just that after the break in Evanston. Time and time again, the Hoosiers were knocked to the mat. Time and time again, they got back up.
When the final buzzer sounded, Indiana had played 10 extra minutes of basketball, and the team walked off with a 79-76 victory.
"This is a game you can look back on and say, 'I don't really know how we figured out a way to get a win in this one,'" Miller said. "Really played poorly offensively shooting the ball… decisions for a good period of time. Northwestern did a lot of packing of the paint and just made it hard on us. I give our guys credit. We kind of fought our way through it the whole time defensively. Even when we gave up a couple of runs late, we were able to find a way to get back in it."
Everything was a struggle for IU, but nobody gave up. Star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis was struggling offensively, and forward Race Thompson found little room to maneuver. That put the pressure on starting guards Aljami Durham and Armaan Franklin to step up, and they didn't hesitate.
On Super Bowl Sunday, that duo combined to go 3-of-18 shooting for a total of 13 points in the win over Iowa (Franklin did hit the game-winning shot to beat the Hawkeyes to cap a tough day). Against Northwestern, Durham and Franklin came to play, with Durham scoring 24 points on 5-of-12 shooting and Franklin supporting with 23 points on 6-of-15 shooting. They went 7-of-13 from 3-point range and made 18-of-20 free throws.
The bigs, who have carried the Hoosiers so often this season, were down. So, the smaller guys made their presence felt.
At the end of regulation, Durham scored IU's final seven points, including a jumper with :24 left that knotted the score and eventually forced overtime. In the first overtime, Franklin scored IU's first 10 points, and a Durham jumper with :01 to play forced the second extra session. Durham also converted four free throws in the last :05 of the game to seal the win.
"I thought in the second half (Durham) did a really good job, especially late, of being able to pick and choose his spots," Miller said. "He hit some shots for us. Biggest thing is he made every pressure free throw, which was unbelievable to see. The big shot at the end of the game goes to him just because of who he is as a person at the end of the day, how he approaches things."
Durham made it clear to his teammates during the game how important this one was.
"We needed it more," Durham said. "I echoed it to the team as we kept going. We kept fighting throughout the game. We needed it more. We needed this win very much. I felt this one was important because we haven't been able to put two together. We haven't been able to string two along, so I felt like we needed it."
It was just one victory in a conference road game, one in which the team didn't play well for the full 40 minutes. But each game is about more than just the outcome. Yes, winning is important, but lessons can always be found in how the game is played.
Miller made it clear to his team just how much this one meant.
"I told them after the game that of all the games this season for this team, this one right here puts a smile on my face more than any of them just because of what we had to go through to figure out how to do it," Miller said. "You don't win today if you're not together, you're not gritty, you're not tough-minded. Between the free-throw shooting late, stepping up between a couple of big baskets and a couple of key turnovers and stops, we just found a way on a day that you probably shouldn't have won.
"I'm just really proud of our guys."
Playing through adversity, on the other hand, hasn't been an issue.
Indiana wasn't good early at Northwestern, going scoreless for the first 5:35 of the game and falling behind 21-7 midway through the first half. The Hoosiers scored just 20 points in the first 20 minutes, and they missed their first six free-throw attempts. They went 7-of-29 from the floor overall and 4-of-13 from 3-point range in the first half. They also posted seven turnovers.
The Hoosiers looked rough.
But Archie Miller's team also has shown an ability to put bad possessions and even bad halves behind them, and they did just that after the break in Evanston. Time and time again, the Hoosiers were knocked to the mat. Time and time again, they got back up.
When the final buzzer sounded, Indiana had played 10 extra minutes of basketball, and the team walked off with a 79-76 victory.
"This is a game you can look back on and say, 'I don't really know how we figured out a way to get a win in this one,'" Miller said. "Really played poorly offensively shooting the ball… decisions for a good period of time. Northwestern did a lot of packing of the paint and just made it hard on us. I give our guys credit. We kind of fought our way through it the whole time defensively. Even when we gave up a couple of runs late, we were able to find a way to get back in it."
Everything was a struggle for IU, but nobody gave up. Star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis was struggling offensively, and forward Race Thompson found little room to maneuver. That put the pressure on starting guards Aljami Durham and Armaan Franklin to step up, and they didn't hesitate.
On Super Bowl Sunday, that duo combined to go 3-of-18 shooting for a total of 13 points in the win over Iowa (Franklin did hit the game-winning shot to beat the Hawkeyes to cap a tough day). Against Northwestern, Durham and Franklin came to play, with Durham scoring 24 points on 5-of-12 shooting and Franklin supporting with 23 points on 6-of-15 shooting. They went 7-of-13 from 3-point range and made 18-of-20 free throws.
The bigs, who have carried the Hoosiers so often this season, were down. So, the smaller guys made their presence felt.
At the end of regulation, Durham scored IU's final seven points, including a jumper with :24 left that knotted the score and eventually forced overtime. In the first overtime, Franklin scored IU's first 10 points, and a Durham jumper with :01 to play forced the second extra session. Durham also converted four free throws in the last :05 of the game to seal the win.
"I thought in the second half (Durham) did a really good job, especially late, of being able to pick and choose his spots," Miller said. "He hit some shots for us. Biggest thing is he made every pressure free throw, which was unbelievable to see. The big shot at the end of the game goes to him just because of who he is as a person at the end of the day, how he approaches things."
Durham made it clear to his teammates during the game how important this one was.
"We needed it more," Durham said. "I echoed it to the team as we kept going. We kept fighting throughout the game. We needed it more. We needed this win very much. I felt this one was important because we haven't been able to put two together. We haven't been able to string two along, so I felt like we needed it."
It was just one victory in a conference road game, one in which the team didn't play well for the full 40 minutes. But each game is about more than just the outcome. Yes, winning is important, but lessons can always be found in how the game is played.
Miller made it clear to his team just how much this one meant.
"I told them after the game that of all the games this season for this team, this one right here puts a smile on my face more than any of them just because of what we had to go through to figure out how to do it," Miller said. "You don't win today if you're not together, you're not gritty, you're not tough-minded. Between the free-throw shooting late, stepping up between a couple of big baskets and a couple of key turnovers and stops, we just found a way on a day that you probably shouldn't have won.
"I'm just really proud of our guys."
Players Mentioned
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Forward
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