
Hoosiers Handle Illini, 80-65
1/19/2023 11:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois had no answer -- not for Trayce Jackson-Davis, not for the Indiana Hoosiers.
The result -- Thursday night's 80-65 Cream 'n Crimson victory over the previously red-hot Illini, a two-game winning streak and the growing sense that IU has found its Big Ten-title-contention form.
"This was a total team effort," coach Mike Woodson told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during the post-game radio show. "From the very beginning, we came out ready to play.
"We set the tone with our defense and rebounding. We made shots. That makes it an easy night when you're doing that. We sustained it over 40 minutes, and the result was a W."
Jackson-Davis, who earlier on Thursday was named one of 50 players to the United States Basketball Writers Association's Oscar Robertson Trophy midseason watch list, dominated as he hadn't all season, in part because the Illini refused to double-team him.
They stuck with man-to-man defense, and the senior forward shredded it, driving for dunks, layups and more. He finished with a season-high 35 points on 15-for-19 shooting, plus added nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
Jackson-Davis is the only major-conference player in the last 20 years to put up those kinds of numbers.
"They didn't double team him," Woodson told Fischer. "I kept milking it.
"Every timeout I would say, the double team might be coming. We tried to set our offense accordingly, but it never came, so we rode him. He performed and produced. He gave us what we needed."
When Jackson-Davis wasn't, forward Jordan Geronimo was. Growing increasingly more comfortable in his starting role after the injury to senior Race Thompson, Geronimo had 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting. He grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots.
"He was solid," Woodson told Fischer. "He did a lot of good things. He was fantastic."
Guard Trey Galloway added 11 points. Guard Jalen Hood-Schifino added 10.
IU (12-6 overall, 3-4 in the Big Ten) opened by relentlessly attacking inside. It had a 22-6 edge in points in the paint -- including 10 layups and dunks -- after the first 13 minutes to build a 19-point lead.
The tone was set. The Hoosiers finished with 54 points in the paint while shooting 61.8 percent from the field.
The defense was nasty for the second straight game. Illinois shot 39 percent and never found its rhythm.
"Our defense caught them off guard," Woodson told Fischer. "We were solid from the start and finished that way."
The only negative -- IU's 17 turnovers. Illinois capitalized for an 18-5 edge on points off turnovers, which was as relevant on this night as the Pony Express.
"The only thing bad to take from the game was the turnovers," Woodson told Fischer. "That has to be fixed. It is fixable. That was the only dry spot of the game."
Geronimo took charge early. He had an inside basket and then a three-pointer to spark IU's 7-0 run after falling behind 4-0. The run reached 12 points after Trey Galloway hit a three-pointer and Jackson-Davis scored.
The Hoosiers pushed ahead by nine, then 11, then 14, at 26-12. Geronimo led with nine points and three rebounds. The Illini were shooting just 21 percent from the field to IU's 63 percent.
The Hoosiers didn't let up. They built a pair of 19-point leads as guard Jalen Hood-Schifino got hot before the Illini rallied behind Terrence Shannon's 13 points to trail 43-33 at halftime.
Geronimo and Jackson-Davis each had 13 points. Each was 6-for-6 from the field. Hood-Schifino had 10 points.
Illinois opened the second half with a basket to close within eight points. Jackson-Davis responded with a three-point play. He followed with another basket and a rim-rocking dunk. One free throw by forward Miller Kopp (off a technical foul on Illinois coach Brad Underwood) and two from Galloway, plus another Jackson-Davis dunk and then a jumper, pushed IU ahead 57-39.
"We always talk about that the first four to five minutes of each half is valuable," Woodson told Fischer. "It held true. We came out in the second half, and our defense picked right back up. We made shots and cushioned the lead."
The cushion came with a brief glitch when the Illini ratcheted up the defensive pressure, forced Hoosier turnovers and began hitting shots. They closed within 12. Guard Tre Galloway scored four straight points to blunt the Illinois rally. Jackson-Davis kept up the offensive pressure.
The Illini were finished.
IU next plays Sunday when it hosts Michigan State, which is coming off a home win over Rutgers.
"This is something we can grow on and get ready for Michigan State," Woodson told Fischer.
IUHoosiers.com
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois had no answer -- not for Trayce Jackson-Davis, not for the Indiana Hoosiers.
The result -- Thursday night's 80-65 Cream 'n Crimson victory over the previously red-hot Illini, a two-game winning streak and the growing sense that IU has found its Big Ten-title-contention form.
"This was a total team effort," coach Mike Woodson told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during the post-game radio show. "From the very beginning, we came out ready to play.
"We set the tone with our defense and rebounding. We made shots. That makes it an easy night when you're doing that. We sustained it over 40 minutes, and the result was a W."
Jackson-Davis, who earlier on Thursday was named one of 50 players to the United States Basketball Writers Association's Oscar Robertson Trophy midseason watch list, dominated as he hadn't all season, in part because the Illini refused to double-team him.
They stuck with man-to-man defense, and the senior forward shredded it, driving for dunks, layups and more. He finished with a season-high 35 points on 15-for-19 shooting, plus added nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
Jackson-Davis is the only major-conference player in the last 20 years to put up those kinds of numbers.
"They didn't double team him," Woodson told Fischer. "I kept milking it.
"Every timeout I would say, the double team might be coming. We tried to set our offense accordingly, but it never came, so we rode him. He performed and produced. He gave us what we needed."
When Jackson-Davis wasn't, forward Jordan Geronimo was. Growing increasingly more comfortable in his starting role after the injury to senior Race Thompson, Geronimo had 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting. He grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots.
"He was solid," Woodson told Fischer. "He did a lot of good things. He was fantastic."
Guard Trey Galloway added 11 points. Guard Jalen Hood-Schifino added 10.
IU (12-6 overall, 3-4 in the Big Ten) opened by relentlessly attacking inside. It had a 22-6 edge in points in the paint -- including 10 layups and dunks -- after the first 13 minutes to build a 19-point lead.
The tone was set. The Hoosiers finished with 54 points in the paint while shooting 61.8 percent from the field.
The defense was nasty for the second straight game. Illinois shot 39 percent and never found its rhythm.
"Our defense caught them off guard," Woodson told Fischer. "We were solid from the start and finished that way."
The only negative -- IU's 17 turnovers. Illinois capitalized for an 18-5 edge on points off turnovers, which was as relevant on this night as the Pony Express.
"The only thing bad to take from the game was the turnovers," Woodson told Fischer. "That has to be fixed. It is fixable. That was the only dry spot of the game."
Geronimo took charge early. He had an inside basket and then a three-pointer to spark IU's 7-0 run after falling behind 4-0. The run reached 12 points after Trey Galloway hit a three-pointer and Jackson-Davis scored.
The Hoosiers pushed ahead by nine, then 11, then 14, at 26-12. Geronimo led with nine points and three rebounds. The Illini were shooting just 21 percent from the field to IU's 63 percent.
The Hoosiers didn't let up. They built a pair of 19-point leads as guard Jalen Hood-Schifino got hot before the Illini rallied behind Terrence Shannon's 13 points to trail 43-33 at halftime.
Geronimo and Jackson-Davis each had 13 points. Each was 6-for-6 from the field. Hood-Schifino had 10 points.
Illinois opened the second half with a basket to close within eight points. Jackson-Davis responded with a three-point play. He followed with another basket and a rim-rocking dunk. One free throw by forward Miller Kopp (off a technical foul on Illinois coach Brad Underwood) and two from Galloway, plus another Jackson-Davis dunk and then a jumper, pushed IU ahead 57-39.
"We always talk about that the first four to five minutes of each half is valuable," Woodson told Fischer. "It held true. We came out in the second half, and our defense picked right back up. We made shots and cushioned the lead."
The cushion came with a brief glitch when the Illini ratcheted up the defensive pressure, forced Hoosier turnovers and began hitting shots. They closed within 12. Guard Tre Galloway scored four straight points to blunt the Illinois rally. Jackson-Davis kept up the offensive pressure.
The Illini were finished.
IU next plays Sunday when it hosts Michigan State, which is coming off a home win over Rutgers.
"This is something we can grow on and get ready for Michigan State," Woodson told Fischer.
Team Stats
IND
Illini
FG%
.618
.387
3FG%
.333
.421
FT%
.692
.391
RB
39
27
TO
17
9
STL
4
11
Game Leaders
Scoring
Players Mentioned
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