By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Luke Goode clapped for energy, for resolve, for fight from an Indiana huddle seconds before the start of a second half that could define the Hoosiers.
They trailed by 28 points Tuesday night against No. 19/20 Illinois at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall – but weren’t without hope in the final 20 minutes if they pushed, if they battled, if they persevered, if they played to their potential and not to their vulnerability. If they defended and hit some 3-point shots. Rebounding, a first-half weakness, became an early second-half strength. The defense picked up, and the energy followed. A 30-point first-half deficit was cut to 16 seven minutes into the second half. Would a comeback for the ages follow? It did not. IU (13-5 overall, 4-3 in the Big Ten) lost its second-straight game and its first at home, 94-69. Following an 85-60 Saturday night loss at Iowa, it left the Hoosiers searching for answers. “We’re not playing tough enough,” Goode said. “We have to be ready, stick to the game plan and the scouting report. We let teams punk us. We have to be better. We have to take pride in what we do. “It all comes down to defense. We need to have the pride to grind out games.”
Allowing 60 points in the first half, guard Anthony Leal added, was unacceptable.
“It doesn’t matter what we do defensively if we don’t do it with effort and toughness,” he said. “These teams are talented. We know we’re talented, but we aren’t matching anybody’s toughness or togetherness. That’s the problem.”
Added coach Mike Woodson: “Our defensive intensity wasn’t there. Illinois played great. They exploited it.”
Consecutive blowout losses leave the Hoosiers at a crossroad. “It’s a long season,” Woodson said. “You can’t throw in the towel. “It’s tough when you prepare and work and do all the things in practice you’re supposed to do, and then guys don’t step up. They didn’t step up against Iowa. “We can’t let this be a snowball effect. There’s a long way to go. I think we’re good enough to win. I’ve got to get us to believe that.” Illinois (13-4, 5-2) dominated in made 3-point baskets (11-4), rebounding (51-37) and second-chance points (19-6).
Center Oumar Ballo led IU with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Goode, who played his first three seasons at Illinois, fouled out with 13 points. Guard Myles Rice had 12 points. Guard Trey Galloway had 10 points and five assists.
Back in the Illini lineup was freshman standout Kasparas Jakucionis, who had missed the previous two games, including a home loss to USC, because of injury. He finished with 21 points and five assists. Jakucionis made instant impact, scoring Illinois’ first five points, then added three more plus an assist, as the Illini took a 12-8 lead after four minutes. Three minutes later, it was 20-8 as the Hoosiers struggled to rebound or defend. Illinois made it 27-12 midway through the first half with an 11-2 edge in second-chance points created by a 15-6 rebounding advantage. The lead grew to 25, then 28, then 30 as the Illini began draining 3-pointers from any range and rebounding nearly every missed shot. IU picked up its defense, hit some shots and closed within 55-32. Illinois scored the final five points of the half for a 60-32 lead. The Hoosiers opened the second half with baskets from Goode and Galloway, four Rice free throws, three rebounds and defended the Illini into three-straight empty possessions. In less than two minutes, the score was 60-40.
30 seconds later, Goode added a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 18. Mackenzie Mgbako’s two free throws with 14 minutes left made it a 64-46 score.
The Hoosiers got no closer. Tempers flared in the final minutes leading to multiple fouls. “Guys take up for each other,” Woodson said. “In the heat of the battle, anything can happen. I’ll talk with Ballo and Myles. We’ll see where we go from there.”
IU seeks to bounce back at Ohio State (10-6, 2-3) on Friday night. Woodson said it would help to get injured forward Malik Reneau back.
“We’ve got to continue to work. I have to make changes. We miss Malik. He’s a big piece of what we do. I’ve got to put guys in there to get us off to a good start and maintain it for a 40-minute game.” He called the Iowa and Illinois losses “embarrassing”, “but we’ve still got a lot of Big Ten games left. I’ve got to get us better prepared and ready to play.” Turning things around, Leal added, means sustaining other team’s punches and delivering some of their own. “We have to remain composed, take the runs, stay true to our scout. It can’t be done in spurts. That’s what it comes down to.”
