Indiana Closes Out Battle 4 Atlantis with Win Over Providence

Friday, November 29

Paradise Islands, Bahamas

11:00 AM

Indiana University

5-2,0-0Big Ten

Providence

5-3,0-0Big East

Providence

Indiana

Indiana Closes Out Battle 4 Atlantis with Win Over Providence

11/29/2024 2:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Smiles finally returned for the Indiana Hoosiers. A Battle 4 Atlantis game was won; offensive order restored; and a sense that this could ignite future success was re-invigorated.

Friday's 89-73 victory over Providence (5-3) earned the No. 14 Hoosiers (5-2) a seven-place finish, and a much-needed boost after consecutive losses to Louisville and No. 3 Gonzaga.

"This shows how good we are when we move the ball, when we play defense, and do things the right way," swingman Mackenzie Mgbako said.

Or, as coach Mike Woodson put it, "When you get your butts beat for two games, you'd better be connected."

Those opening Battle 4 Atlantis losses had rocked a previously unbeaten team with Big Ten title aspirations. But the Hoosiers regrouped, in part from a don't-panic mindset. Holiday tournaments offer quality competition without guarantees.

Indiana avoided an empty week by attacking Providence early and often with full-throttle play, a major point of pregame emphasis that Woodson wants part of his team's DNA the rest of the way.

"We have to play harder, and get better," Woodson said. "We'll practice and work hard. I have to keep pushing them. There's a reason why Gonzaga is a good team, why Louisville is a good team. They play hard. We have to play at the level. If we do that, we can put ourselves in position to beat really good teams."

Indiana's must-win reality included early full-court pressure against a fatigued Providence team playing basically 12 hours after its Thursday night loss to Davidson.

"That was a big emphasis," Woodson said. "They didn't leave the gym until 10:30 or 11 last night. We knew that. We tried to capitalize on that in terms of pushing the pace."

Hoosier runs of 9-0 in the first half and 8-0 in the second half provided a cushion they never lost thanks to contributions from the entire roster.

Mgbako set the first-half offensive tone with 13 points. He hit two 3-pointers and all three of his free throws, part of a 10-for-10 Hoosier effort in the first 20 minutes. He finished with 25 points and four 3-pointers.

Guard Trey Galloway, still recovering from off-season knee surgery, started for the first time this season due to a lower body injury to Kanaan Carlyle. He made instant impact with a basket, a rebound, and an assist. He totaled 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and made three 3-point baskets.

"He played great today," Woodson said. "I've limited his minutes based on how he's felt. This morning, I was holding my breath that he would tell me he felt fine. He said it was the best he's felt in a long time

That was good news. It's easy to slide him into the starting lineup. He did a lot of good things to help us win."

As for Carlyle, Woodson said it's "Day to day. He couldn't move today, so we shut him down."

For the second straight game, forward Malik Reneau got into early foul trouble and played limited first-half minutes. He came back to finish with 21 points in 21 minutes.

Starting center Oumar Ballo had eight points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks to follow up the 25 points and four rebounds he had against Gonzaga, which followed his 11-point, six-rebound effort against Louisville. Reserve center Langdon Hatton again provided off-the-bench impact with four points, one rebound, and solid defense. Forward Luke Goode added nine points and three rebounds.

Guard Myles Price again struggled. He was 1-for-8 from the field for two points. He did have six assists against two turnovers. In three tournament games, he was 4-for-25 from the field for 11 total points.

"I'm not concerned," Woodson said. "He's a tough kid. We'll regroup and get him back going. He's a major piece to the puzzle, as is everyone. I've got to get our guys on the same page doing what's asked of them.

"Myles might be a little gun-shy (in his shooting), but I can fix that. We haven't told anybody not to shoot. Our guys know when they have a good and bad shot.

"I've got to get them to understand team -- share the ball, set the screen, and sacrifice the pass for the sake of the team. It's my job to get them to do that."

IU shredded Providence's zone defense with an early 6-for-10 3-point-shooting barrage. Mgbako and Galloway combined for five of them. The Hoosiers finished 8-for-15 from beyond the arc. They shot 53.3% from the field with 20 assists against 10 turnovers

Woodson credited the strong offense to ball movement.

"We set a lot of staggered screens for Luke and Mack," he said. "I changed it up and they delivered. The ball moved. It didn't get stuck. We did a good job with the pick and roll.

"We made some shots. Everything looks good when you make shots. It makes everything a lot easier,"

IU's revamped starting lineup produced offensive balance -- six Hoosiers scored in the first eight minutes. IU started with a 4-0 lead. It lasted less than three minutes before Providence scored five straight points.

The Hoosiers pushed ahead 13-10 on a power inside basket from Ballo and a Galloway 3-pointer. Mgbako, Rice and Hatton scored for an 22-13 advantage after eight minutes. A Goode 3-pointer made it 25-14.

A three-point Ballo play and a Mgbako 3-pointer made it 33-21 with seven minutes left in the half. Mgbako's closing scoring surge, and a pair of Goode free throws, gave the Hoosiers a 44-33 halftime lead.

They were 10-for-10 on free throws while making four of eight 3-point attempts. Eight Hoosiers scored at least two points.

Galloway scored the Hoosiers first four points of the second half. Reneau took over as IU surged to a 54-37 lead in less than three minutes and then 57-38 20 seconds later. Providence rallied to within nine points, before Ballo, Reneau and Mgbako combined to deliver the knockout.

The Hoosiers play again on Tuesday when they host Sam Houston.

"We have to clean up things defensively and rebound better," Woodson said. "On defense, I still think we're behind.

"Rebounding is a major concern. It dates back to last year when we had a big team and gave up a bunch of rebounds. We have to get that fixed. It comes down to heart and guts and making sure we secure the ball."