Hoosiers stun Michigan, advance in conference tournament
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — Did that actually happen? With their NCAA Tournament hopes potentially on the line, the Indiana Hoosiers couldn’t have played two different halves if they tried. But when it mattered the most, they got the job done in thrilling fashion. After trailing 60-43 with 11 minutes to play, Indiana finished the game on a 31-9 run, defeating the Michigan Wolverines 74-69 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“When you think of all the close losses this year, this was really gratifying,” said Head Coach Mike Woodson. “This was a total team effort. This team hasn’t quit all year, and we didn’t quit today.”
The Hoosiers looked lifeless in the first half, as if they had one foot out the door for the season. Trayce Jackson-Davis was fumbling passes, missing dunks, and looking disinterested in setting screens or playing with any passion. It didn’t help that Xavier Johnson sat most of the first half with two early fouls. Give major credit to Mike Woodson on getting his team back on the right track.
“I keep locker room stuff in-house, but it wasn’t pretty,” Woodson said, referring to his talk with TJD at halftime. “And then he responded, and played how he is capable of playing.”
Jackson-Davis had 19 of his 24 points in the 2nd half, and stepped up his defensive presence in a major way with four 2nd-half blocks, while doing his part limiting Michigan standout Hunter Dickinson.
“I think Hunter is a great player,” said Jackson-Davis. “He had his way in Bloomington and had his way in the first half. We did a better job denying him and guards crashing in to make it tough.”
Mike Woodson has received plenty of criticism this season for being too loyal to his starters. He also deserves credit for finding the right lineup that got Indiana going, and he stuck with it. Jordan Geronimo was a monster on the defensive end, and Woodson stuck with him over Race Thompson. Parker Stewart didn’t play much down the stretch, which also proved to be the right call.
“I was searching for a combination that could help us get back into the game,” Woodson said. “That group changed the dynamic. Again, it was a total team effort.”
Xavier Johnson finished the game with 17 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. The Hoosiers have been a different team when “X” has been playing on this level. He not only led the charge with his teammates, he led the charge with the fans.
“We just dug in, and got stops,” Johnson said. “We’ve watched a ton of film and wanted to make sure we were able to close this one out.”
The Hoosiers have reached the quarterfinals of the conference tournament for the first time since 2017. They’ll square off against the Big Ten Champions, the Fighting Illini. It’s possible the win over Michigan gets Indiana into the NCAA Tournament, but they’d prefer to remove all doubt and keep things rolling with a win on Friday.
“I’m not sure if we’ve done enough,” said Mike Woodson. “I’m new at this. The only thing I can say- how we’ve competed this year, I would like to think this game put us over the top. But we’ve got to get ready for Illinois.”
We’ll see how the chips end up falling. For now? The Hoosiers live to see another day.
