Hoosiers Fall to Hawkeyes, 80-77

Saturday, March 12

Indianapolis, Ind.

1:00 PM

Indiana University

20-13,9-11Big Ten

Iowa

25-9,12-8Big Ten

Indiana

Iowa

3/12/2022 3:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

INDIANAPOLIS – Shock. Pain. Tears.

They were all here for the Indiana Hoosiers. It happens when you care, when you push, when you come so close to a first-ever Big Ten tourney title shot.

When you lose.

Iowa's Jordan Bohannon saw to that by banking in a contested 30-foot three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left to beat IU 80-77 in Saturday's semifinal cliffhanger at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The ninth-seeded Hoosiers (20-13) were left to wonder what might have been, and then embrace what could be -- their potential first NCAA tourney bid since 2016. Selections will be announced on Sunday.

"I don't think anybody wants to see us right now," forward Trayce Jackson-Davis said. "We can compete with anyone in the country.

"It took a last-second three from the hottest team in the Big Ten to beat us. It stings, but I think we have a lot of ball left."

This was what coach Mike Woodson envisioned when taking the job last spring.

"I'm so thrilled with the way we competed. These sting, but we'll get over it and get ready for NCAA Tournament play if we get to play in the tournament.

"This team made major strides this week. We are battle tested. We've been in so many games. The games we came up short have been tough, but our guys have always responded. We will respond again."

History has punished IU in the Big Ten tourney (it has never won the event, and reached the title game only once, in 2001), but these Hoosiers didn't care. They blasted away bad memories as if they were as relevant as wooden backboards, stunning Michigan and Illinois with tough-minded, end-of-game play.

But history stayed true in the end.

A nine-point IU lead with five minutes left dissolved into a four-point deficit.

The Hoosiers rallied. Xavier Johnson hit a pair of free throws, then made a layup off a Trey Galloway steal for a 77-77 tie in the final seconds that suggested overtime was coming.

Then Bohannon, with Galloway in his face, banked in the dream killer.

"I saw the shot clock," Jackson-Davis said. "I saw he was well defended just four to five feet inside the half-court line.

"I knew he would hoist one up. I thought it would be long, but March Madness is a crazy time of year. The ball doesn't always bounce your way."

Bohannon, who had honed his long-distance shooting growing up with brutal backyard family pick-up games that denied anything close to the basket, embraced the moment.

"Indiana took away our play," he said. "I tried to do what I've always done -- be confident in those situations."

Records fell. Jackson-Davis and Johnson saw to that with an outside-inside combination that ripped apart opposing defensive plans.

Jackson-Davis finished with 31 points against Iowa and 76 in three Big Ten tourney games. No Hoosier has ever scored more. Johnson's 22 tourney assists were another program record. He had 20 points and nine assists against the Hawkeyes.

It wasn't enough. Not with Keegan Murray hitting 8-of-10 three-point attempts for 32 points, and Bohannon making four three-pointers, three in the final two minutes, to rally the Hawkeyes.

"This is a tough loss," Woodson said. "You've got to give Iowa credit. They kept banging away. We had some miscues down the stretch that cost us."

Iowa (25-9) has won 11 of its last 13 games.

"We beat a tremendous team," Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffery said. "Trayce is a handful. They kept coming, but so did we."

Indiana shot better (48 to 46 percent), rebounded better (36-30), made more free throws (12 to 10) and had fewer turnovers (10 to 11). It had a 50-24 edge in points in the paint.

Three-pointers did in the Hoosiers. They were 5-for-19 for the game, 2-for-9 in the second half. Iowa was 14-for-32, 8-for-14 in the second half.

"That's how we've been all year," Woodson said. "We had a lot of good looks. We just didn't make them.

"Our guys have to step up and make shots. Iowa made shots when they had open looks. We struggled to make them."

In the first meeting, an 83-74 Iowa victory at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, IU limited Murray, the Hawkeyes' all-time single-season scoring record holder, to 12 points and nine rebounds, but couldn't contain his brother Kris, who set season highs with 29 points and 11 rebounds.

This time Keegan played the Hoosier destroyer role.

"He's the real deal," Woodson said. "The NBA will love him."

IU was without forward Jordan Geronimo, who hurt his knee during the Illinois victory. He tweeted on Saturday that he would be back for postseason play.

Jackson-Davis and Johnson opened the game in dominating style. In the first six minutes, Jackson-Davis had 10 points and a rebound. Johnson had five points, four assists and two rebounds.

IU bolted to a 15-3 lead.

Iowa surged back behind Keegan Murray for a 17-17 tie.

Johnson hit a three-pointer, then lobbed to Jackson-Davis for a basket to put the Hoosiers ahead by five.

The Hawkeyes pushed ahead 27-24 to complete a 24-9 run. Race Thompson tied it with a three-point play. A Jackson-Davis basket gave IU a 29-27 lead.

Tamar Bates' three-pointer just before halftime gave the Hoosiers a 38-32 lead. It was the first time in the Big Ten tourney they led after the first 20 minutes. Jackson-Davis was the catalyst with 16 points and four rebounds.

IU opened a 49-42, second-half advantage. Iowa rallied to within a point. The Jackson-Davis/Murray duel continued.

Indiana forward Miller Kopp, 0-for-7 on three-pointers, took a Galloway pass and hit a three-pointer. Seconds later, off a rebound, he hit another. A Johnson steal and pass to a streaking Jackson-Davis produced a dunk, a huge crowd roar and a 67-58 Hoosier lead with 5:29 left.

Iowa didn't buckle.

It rallied to go ahead 74-71 with 1:41 left. IU rallied to tie it at 77-77 via two Johnson free throws and a Galloway steal and pass to Johnson for a layup.

Bohannon's shot ended the game, but not the Hoosier opportunity.

"These guys are excited about that," Woodson said. "They should be. I'm excited for them. They've worked their butts off to put themselves in this position, but until the (NCAA selection committee) says we're in, we're waiting to hear those words."