No. 18/18 Indiana Earns Road Win at Michigan

Saturday, February 11

Ann Arbor, Mich.

6:00 PM

Indiana University

18-7,9-5Big Ten

Michigan

14-11,8-6Big Ten

Indiana

Michigan

2/11/2023 8:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – With the game on the line and everything at stake, Miller Kopp conceded nothing.

The Indiana Hoosiers were right behind him.

IU led by one point Saturday night at Michigan's Crisler Arena. The clock ticked down to six seconds, four seconds, two seconds, and the senior swingman held his ground against Michigan's Jett Howard, pressuring with upraised arms without fouling.

Howard forced an airball. The clock hit zero.

The No. 18 Hoosiers had found a way, 62-61, for their first victory at Crisler Arena since 2016, and their eighth win in nine games. They improved to 18-7 overall, and 9-5 in the Big Ten, good for second place in the conference standings behind top-ranked Purdue (12-2).

"It was our defense," coach Mike Woodson told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during the post-game radio show. "We held them scoreless for the last 5:12, and we needed every minute of that."

No offensive flow? No points in the final three minutes? No problem. Not when IU reduced Michigan's offense to rubble. The Wolverines (14-11, 8-6) missed nine of their last 10 shots and scored just 24 second-half points.

On that final Michigan possession, the Hoosiers stopped guard Kobe Bufkin's drive, forcing a pass to Howard that led to nothing.

"From an offensive standpoint, we were kind of trucking along," Woodson said. "We needed a break. We got the defensive stop at the end. They really didn't get a shot. That says a lot about the guys who were out there."

IU's offense centered on Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino. They combined for 49 points -- 28 for Jackson-Davis, 21 for Hood-Schifino.

With only four other Hoosiers scoring, no one for more than four points, that was a game-saver.

"I thought Trayce was magnificent," Woodson told Fischer. "Jalen came through in a major way.

"We were trying to find plays where we could isolate those two and let them play. They were the two who had it going for us. They made great plays coming down the stretch."

Hood-Schifino bounced back from early foul trouble to make 8-of-15 shots. He had five assists and four rebounds. He also had six of IU's 13 turnovers.

"We started running a bunch of pick-and-roll plays for him," Woodson told Fischer. "They were leaving him as he was coming over the screen and he was pulling up with his jump shot. He made some big plays."

Jackson-Davis played all 40 minutes. He added 11 rebounds, three blocks and two assists.

Was Woodson worried about not resting Jackson-Davis?

No. Not with a trip to Northwestern coming on Wednesday.

"You don't get tired when you go for 28 and 11," Woodson told Fischer "He's not tired. He has to get ready for Northwestern. That's why we have him here, to do that.

"We had to play him all those minutes. I didn't feel good about resting him. He can rest tomorrow."

With senior forward Race Thompson out for precautionary reasons, Woodson only used seven players.

"I shortened the rotation," he told Fischer. "I didn't feel comfortable extended it beyond seven. The guys who played stepped up and did what they needed to do."

With Thompson out, Jordan Geronimo earned the start with Malik Reneau backing him up.

Calf issues limited Geronimo. Foul problems limited Reneau. That left the Hoosiers thin and small against the tall, deep Wolverines.

No problem. IU has learned how to finish.

"We've been in enough of (close games)," Woodson told Fischer. "A year ago, we were in a lot of games, but I wasn't getting them over the hump.

"I feel comfortable with what we're doing as a staff, and guys are making plays. They're stepping up doing the things they're supposed to do to help us win."

Michigan capitalized on early struggling Indiana defense to build first half leads as large as 11. IU stayed within range behind Jackson-Davis' 16 points and Hood-Schifino's 10 points. Hood-Schifino picked up two fouls in the first eight minutes. Tamar Bates briefly replaced him, before he returned to hit five of eight shots.

The defense picked up as the half went on. Michigan scored just five points off IU's seven turnovers. The Hoosiers held the Wolverines scoreless in the last 2:25, closed on a 12-5 run (despite missing two layups) and reached halftime trailing 37-33.

"We continued to scrape," Woodson told Fischer.

Seconds into the second half, Hood-Schifino hit a three-pointer. A Jackson-Davis basket off a Hood-Schifino pass put IU ahead 40-39.

Michigan responded with a 10-2 run for a 49-42 lead. Trey Galloway attacked for a basket to stop a 19-point stretch of Jackson-Davis and Hood-Schifino scoring.

IU surged back to take a 54-53 lead on a Jackson-Davis layup via a Bates pass. Michigan pushed ahead 59-56 and 61-58.

Then Indiana ratcheted up its defense. Hood-Schifino made a pair of free throws for a 62-61 Hoosier lead as the clock ticked under two minutes.

A Michigan turnover gave Indiana a chance to extend the lead. Hood-Schifino missed a driving layup. Jackson-Davis missed the front end of a bonus.

Finally, Michigan had 8.3 seconds to score and win. IU had 8.3 seconds to get a stop and win.

Victory Hoosiers.

"We got the big stop at the end," Woodson told Fischer. "That's what counts. We'll take it. We've got to ready for Northwestern."