Quick thoughts on a 69-68 win over Morehead State:
How it happened
It was fair to wonder if Indiana would be disappointed after Saturday's narrow loss to Kansas at Assembly Hall. And that's exactly what happened. The Hoosiers seemed uninterested from the start and Morehead State took advantage. Indiana shot an abysmal 34.4 percent in the first half, allowed seven offensive rebounds and went into the locker room trailing 36-25. Aside from a few good minutes from Anthony Walker, who scored eight points, there was nothing positive for the Hoosiers in the first 20 minutes. Kel'el Ware, Mackenzie Mgbako and Malik Reneau combined for six points. The final play of the first half was arguably the worst: As Indiana held its final shot, Trey Galloway turned it over, and Eddie Ricks III dunked it on the other end to give the Eagles an 11-point lead.
The Hoosiers started the second half much better as Ware scored eight points to bring the Hoosiers within four points at 37-33, forcing Morehead State to call a timeout at 17:42. But Jordan Lathon stayed hot for the Eagles, who extended their lead back to 11 at 53-42 with 12:23 left. At the 9:29 mark, Morehead State's lead was 15 after Reneau fouled Lathon on a 3-pointer and he scored the go-ahead goal. The Eagles led 64-53 with 7:10 to play at the U8 media timeout.
An 8-0 run brought Indiana within seven minutes and Morehead State called a timeout with 6:16 left. A 3-point play by Anthony Walker that started IU's 13-0 run brought the Hoosiers up 64-62 with 4:11 left. Trey Galloway's 3-pointer gave IU its first lead since 16-15 at 3:14. The Eagles equalized with a Kalil Thomas 66. Indiana led 69-66 after two free throws from Walker and one from Mgbako, but Morehead answered with a shot from Dieonte Miles with 48 seconds left to increase the Hoosiers' lead to 69-68. After a timeout, Mgbako missed a three-pointer, but Reneau grabbed the rebound and was fouled on the putback. Reneau missed both free throws. Morehead State called a timeout with 24.7 seconds left. On the final possession, Morehead State cut the clock to just a few seconds and Reneau blocked a long-range shot attempt by Lathon to secure the victory, Indiana's eighth of the season.
Outstanding artist
Walker came off the bench to lead the Hoosiers with 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Galloway added 14 points in 38 minutes.
Statistics that stand out
After trailing by 15 points, Indiana finished the game with a 20-4 run to win. The Hoosiers shot just 3-for-16 on threes and 16-for-28 from the free throw line.
Final IU individual stats
Final pace-free statistics
Call for a meeting after the game
Submitted to: Morehead State Eagles