Quick thoughts on the 75-71 loss to Kansas:
How it happened
Assembly Hall was electric and Indiana delivered a great first-half performance against the No. 2 Jayhawks. The Hoosiers played with intensity, driving aggressively to score or draw fouls and making some timely 3-pointers. Trey Galloway was a stellar 6-for-8 from the field for 13 points, and freshman Mackenzie Mgbako wasn't far behind with 11 points in the first 20 minutes. The Hoosiers were ahead by twelve points at one point, but had to settle for an eight-point lead at halftime. Fouls were a problem for both teams, as KJ Adams and Kevin McCullar Jr. each had two for Kansas, and four different Hoosiers — Mgbako, Malik Reneau, Gabe Cupps and Kaleb Banks — each had at least two fouls. Kansas allowed its opponents just 42 percent of two-point shots, but Indiana made 57.9 percent of its two-point shots in the first half.
The Jayhawks cut Indiana's lead to 42-37 with 17:07 to play, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Mgbako and Galloway increased the lead to 11, forcing Bill Self to call a timeout with 15:46 to play. While the Hoosiers struggled to get the offense going, Kansas couldn't take advantage. Indiana's lead remained in double digits at 54-44 until the U12 media timeout. However, Kansas finally broke through. The Jayhawks went on an 11-4 spurt to get within three points at 58-55 with 8:39 minutes to play, forcing Mike Woodson to call a timeout.
After Kansas got within one score at 59-58, Gabe Cupps answered with a running layup to give the Hoosiers a 3-point lead. The Jayhawks took their first lead with 4:53 left on a Hunter Dickinson victory. But Indiana answered with a basket from Reneau, increasing the score to 63-62. Kansas regained the lead at 64-63 with 4:16 left on a three-pointer by Dajuan Harris. Galloway drained two free throws to tie the game at 64 with 3:51 remaining. McCullar's 3-pointer gave Kansas a 3-point lead with 3:29 to play. The Jayhawks extended the lead to five with a basket by Dickinson with 2:33 left.
With just under 30 seconds left, Indiana had a chance to tie the game or take the lead, but a Galloway 3-pointer missed and the Hoosiers were forced to foul. McCullar missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Indiana was unable to secure the rebound as it went past Ware and out of bounds. Indiana fouled again and McCullar made both to make it 73-69 for Kansas. With 9.4 seconds left, Ware hit a three-pointer from Mgbako, who missed the ball, to make it 73-71 for Kansas. The Hoosiers were forced to foul again, and McCullar made both, giving the Jayhawks the 75-71 victory.
Outstanding artist
It was a career day for Galloway, who finished his career with 28 points in 38 minutes.
Statistics that stand out
Indiana's offense struggled in the second half as the Hoosiers scored just 31 points on 33.3 percent shooting. Kansas, on the other hand, shot 51.9 percent in the second half and scored 1.19 points per possession.
Final IU individual stats
Final pace-free statistics
Call for a meeting after the game
Submitted to: Kansas Jayhawks