Quick thoughts on a 74-66 win against Louisville:
How it happened
After Sunday’s 20-point dismantling at the hands of UConn, it was fair to wonder how Indiana would respond against Louisville just over 24 hours later. The start wasn’t particularly good, as freshman Mackenzie Mgbako picked up two fouls in the first two minutes and was jettisoned to the bench. But Indiana’s bench was the bright spot in the first 20 minutes at Madison Square Garden. The Hoosiers got 20 of their 34 points from the bench – including a team-high nine from Anthony Walker – to go into the locker room with a five-point lead. If not for a few late half miscues – one of which led to a 3-pointer for Skyy Clark – it could have been a double-figure lead for the Hoosiers. Indiana dominated the points in the paint in the first half 22-12 and also had 10 assists on its 12 made field goals.
After Louisville pulled within one at 36-35, Indiana’s 8-0 run pushed the lead to nine, forcing Kenny Payne to use a timeout. The Cardinals, however, responded with a 15-5 run to grab the lead at 50-49 at the under-12 media timeout. The Cardinals stretched the lead to five at 56-51 on a Curtis Williams 3-pointer with 9:54 remaining. Indiana had a chance to tie it at 62 after Kel’el Ware scored and was fouled, but he missed the free throw and Louisville’s JJ Traynor dunked on the other end to make it 64-61 Cardinals. Indiana regained the lead at 65-64 after a Malik Reneau steal and Xavier Johnson layup with 3:06 to play. Reneau’s bucket with 2:12 to go made it 67-64 Hoosiers. And Reneau added a pair of free throws to make it 69-64 with 1:16 to go. After a missed Traynor 3-pointer, Xavier Johnson made a pair of free throws to make it 71-64 and seal the win for the Hoosiers.
Standout performers
Johnson led Indiana with 14 points, including a 9-for-12 performance from the free throw line, in 31 minutes. Johnson also had five assists and four rebounds. Ware and Reneau each had 12 points and Walker added 11 points. Reneau’s stellar 6-for-6 performance from the free throw line was pivotal in the win.
Statistics that stand out
Indiana finished the game on a 13-2 run after Mike Woodson switched to a 2-3 zone to stop Louisville’s penetration. The Hoosiers outscored Louisville 42-28 in the paint and by four from the free throw line. Indiana also had 30 bench points and had 18 assists on its 24 made field goals.
Final IU individual statistics
Final tempo-free statistics
Assembly Call postgame show
(Photo credit: Indiana Athletics)
Filed to: Louisville Cardinals
