Hoosiers Hang On for 61-57 Win in Minneapolis

Wednesday, January 25

Minneapolis, Minn.

9:00 PM

Indiana University

14-6,5-4Big Ten

Minnesota

7-12,1-8Big Ten

Indiana

Minnesota

1/25/2023 11:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery Postgame Notes Watch | Highlights Watch | Yasir Rosemond Press Conference Watch | Trayce Jackson-Davis Press Conference Photo Gallery

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- Forget basketball as art. Sometimes you just find a way.

Oh. Get Trayce Jackson-Davis the ball.

Indiana did just enough of that Wednesday night for a 61-57 victory over injury depleted Minnesota. The Hoosiers (14-6 overall, 5-4 in the Big Ten) have won four straight games.

Even without head coach Mike Woodson, who was sidelined by Covid, they held Minnesota (7-12, 1-8) scoreless over the final three-plus minutes during their 7-0, game-closing run. The Gophers missed their last 11 shots.

"Defense is what we're built on," associate head coach Yasir Rosemond said. "We work on defense every day. Coach Woodson put in a system and we live and die on it. We dug in defensively and got some stops."

Jackson-Davis, as he has throughout this hot streak, was the catalyst. He totaled 25 points (16 in the second half, the last two off a huge crunch-time rebound off Race Thompson's missed free throw), 21 rebounds and six blocks.

He broke a tie with Jeff Newton for program career blocked shots. He has 233.

"His leadership has been amazing," Rosemond said. "He's finally healthy. For a guy at the top of the scouting report to do what he's doing is amazing.

"I've coached a couple of NBA guys, and he's the best I've coached."

Added Jackson-Davis: I'm just playing basketball and trying to help teammates. I was attacking on offense."

With Woodson out, Rosemond, along with fellow assistant coaches Kenya Hunter and Brian Walsh, took over.

"Coach Woodson always says, 'Next man up.' He tells us, if something happens, whose ever scout it is, you're the head coach," Rosemond said.

"We're always prepared. He treats us like head coaches. He gives us a lot of say. He has the final say. It's a tribute to him and his confidence in us."

Added Jackson-Davis: "We knew Coach Ya and the coaches had it covered."

Minnesota was missing three injured key players, forcing it to play small. That was a big problem given Jackson-Davis' big presence. Add its last-place Big Ten status and five straight losses to the Hoosiers, and the challenge was formidable.

The Gophers' strategy -- a 2-3 zone to keep the ball out of the paint and away from Jackson-Davis, and play with ferocious intensity.

In a game that featured seven ties and seven lead changes, it almost was enough.

"At the end of the day," Jackson-Davis said, "we found a way to win. It was big for us."

Senior forward Race Thompson, a Minnesota native, started for the first time since a knee injury sidelined him for four games. He finished with four points, four rebounds, three assists and three blocks. His main assignment was guarding Jamison Battle, the Gophers' leading scorer.

"Race gave us minutes, did things in the middle and had a tough defensive assignment guarding Battle," Rosemond said.

Swingman Miller Kopp added 11 points, tracked down a huge crunch-time loose ball, defended, hustled and played all 40 minutes.

"He was engaged," Jackson-Davis said. "He's a great leader. He came here to make shots, but he hustles. He dives for loose balls. He guards. Those are all huge things we need from him. He's doing so much more than being a catch-and-shoot shooter."

Kopp hit a pair of early three-pointers to give Indiana a three-point lead it couldn't hold because of three straight turnovers.

A Minnesota team not known for drawing fouls drew 10 of them in the first half. The result was 6-for-11 free throw shooting compared to IU's 4-for-8.

The Gophers built first-half leads as large as six points. Forward Malik Reneau came off the bench for 10 points to spark a 12-2 run, then Kopp finished it off with a late three-pointer to give IU a 33-30 halftime lead.

Jackson-Davis opened the second half with eight points as the Hoosiers pushed ahead 45-38. The Gophers surged back for a 47-47 tie with 10 minutes left.

A spectacular Jackson-Davis dunk off a Jalen Hood-Schifino pass put IU ahead by two. A Battle three-pointer gave Minnesota a 50-49 lead. Trey Galloway's three-pointer made it a 52-50 Hoosier advantage.

The Gophers rallied. The Hoosiers rallied.

With 43 seconds left, Thompson hit a free throw for a 57-57 tie. Jackson-Davis rebounded Thompson's miss on the second free-throw attempt and scored to give IU a lead it finally held.

"This was a group effort," Jackson-Davis said. "We never folded, especially when we got down. We know we've got to keep grinding. Play together. That's what we're doing."

At the end, Rosemond said, "We kept saying in the huddle that we've got to guard the drive. We've got to get stops. All the guys were engaged. It was a total team effort."