BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana resumed Big Ten play with a step in the right direction, defeating Rutgers 84-74 Thursday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Coach Mike Woodson found contributions all over his roster, led by Myles Rice with 21 points. Oumar Ballo returned to action and scored 17 points, followed by Mackenzie Mgbako with 16, Trey Galloway with 11 and Luke Goode with nine. The Hoosiers improved to 11-3 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play ahead of Sunday’s game against Penn State at the Palestra in Philadelphia, Penn.

Here’s the full transcript of Woodson’s postgame press conference.

On Oumar Ballo’s play…

Woodson: “I thought he played great. He’s a big part of our team winning tonight. He had 17 and three rebounds, a few blocked shots, plugged the hole up for us like he’s supposed to so I thought he played well.”

On his thoughts on Rutgers guard Ace Bailey, who scored 39 points…

Woodson: “He’s special. He’s a good player and he’s young. If he continues to work, he could be pretty special. I mean, we kind of threw a few things at him, but he made some tough shots tonight and that’s what great players do.”

On if Ballo coming off the bench was for disciplinary or injury-related reasons…

Woodson: “Let’s just talk about his 17 and 12. That’s what I like to focus in on. He came off the bench and he got 17 and 12 for us and two blocks, which is fantastic.”

On Malik Reneau leaving with an injury and how his team adapted…

Woodson: “Well, right now, we just got to evaluate him tomorrow. He couldn’t come back in the game and you know he’s a big piece to the puzzle. Going into this game, he was our leading scorer, so we’ll evaluate him tomorrow through our medical staff and see where he is and if he can’t play, it’s next man up. We just got to continue to go whoever is in uniform.”

On Indiana’s improved 3-point shooting…

Woodson: “Guys stepped up, they made ’em, which was kind of nice to see. That’s probably the most threes we’ve made this season so far and I just hope it continues to be a carryover because I thought in the Winthrop game we got some good looks, we just didn’t make them. Tonight, guys stepped up and they knocked them down which we’re going to need moving forward.”

On Indiana’s 34 second-chance points and 18 offensive rebounds…

Woodson: “Well, I think the fact that they played a lot of zones. It’s kind of hard to block out in zone situations. We were able to sneak guys in and get put-backs or kick it back out for threes. That’s just how it goes when you play zone. You gamble because you do have to rebound out of the zone in order to get down the floor and play offense and we were able to capitalize on it a little bit.”

On if Indiana did anything different in practice after making just one three in its last game…

Woodson: “No, like I told you guys, I mean, as a coach, every time they shoot it, I think it’s going in, especially if you got the right guy shooting it and we did in our last game. You had Gallo shooting some and Goode and Mac. They just didn’t knock them down and tonight they had some of those same looks and they put it in the hole which is kind of nice to see.”

On Anthony Leal’s defense against Ace Bailey and if he expected that matchup…

Woodson: “No, Anthony is one of our best defenders and when I got to go to someone off the bench to guard a key guy, because I thought in that one stretch right before the half, I think he only scored one point against Anthony. He had done all his damage early and… but again, he’s a hell of a player. He did a lot of good things for his ball club tonight.”

On if this game was Indiana’s best in terms of its depth top to bottom…

Woodson: “I think so but we got a long way to go. I got to help our bench more somehow. I just got to get them comfortable having fun and flying around and doing things on both ends of the floor that we’re supposed to do and we’re not there yet.”

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A winter storm watch has been issued for much of central and southern Indiana from Saturday night into Monday night.

The bigger snowstorm will follow a smaller one expected to hit parts of Indiana on Thursday night and early Friday morning.

Here are details on the three separate winter storms watches, issued Thursday afternoon, that include Indiana.

Central Indiana

The National Weather Service at Indianapolis says to expect 6 inches of snow or more, with a potential accumulations of sleet and freezing rain around southern portions of central Indiana.

The storm was expected to bring slick and hazardous roadways, and snow on trees could bring down power lines.

The watch says, “Persons should consider delaying all travel. If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with extreme caution. Consider taking a winter storm kit along with you, including such items as tire chains, booster cables, flashlight, shovel, blankets and extra clothing. Also take water, a first aid kit, and anything else that would help you survive in case you become stranded.”

Indiana counties in the watch issued from the Indianapolis weather service office are Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Clinton, Clay, Daviess, Decatur, Delaware, Fountain, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson, Knox, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Martin, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Randolph, Rush, Shelby, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Vermillion, and Vigo.

Southeastern Indiana

The National Weather Service at Louisville, Kentucky, says to expect a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain from late Saturday night through Monday afternoon. Snow and sleet amounts of greater than 4 inches and significant ice accumulations of greater than a quarter of an inch are expected in the watch area that includes southern Indiana.

Indiana counties in the watch area from the Louisville weather office are Clark, Crawford, Dubois, Floyd, Jefferson, Harrison, Orange, Perry, Scott, Washington. The watch from the Louisville weather officer also extends into Kentucky.

Southwestern Indiana

The National Weather Service at Paducah, Kentucky, says heavy mixed precipitation is possible from late Saturday night into late Sunday night. Snow and sleet accumulations of 4 inches or more, and ice accumulations of one-quarter inch or more are possible.

Indiana counties in the watch area from the Paducah weather office are Gibson, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick. The watch also includes parts of Illinois and Kentucky.

Statement

“The Indianapolis Department of Public Works (Indy DPW) is prepared for the forecasted winter weather conditions, including a strong winter system this weekend. Starting tonight, Indy DPW will dispatch over 80 crew members to begin pre-treating roadways, bridges, and overpasses across Marion County for a snow event set to start later this evening. Indy DPW crews will operate on rotating 12-hour shifts throughout the snow event, which Indy DPW officials expect to bring up to an inch of snowfall with potential freezing overnight.

“‘Our crews are prepared to address the weather expected to impact our community this week and will continue to monitor and respond to any changes in the forecast’ said Indy DPW Interim Director Sam Beres. ‘In partnership with AFSCME Local 725, we will remain focused on addressing roadway conditions throughout the duration of the expected weather impacts. We remind residents to give our snowplow and salt truck drivers space to work safely.’

“Looking ahead to the weekend, several weather models show the potential for a strong winter system (Sunday AM through Monday AM) that is expected to impact several Midwestern states, including Indiana. While it is too soon to determine the exact track of the system and snowfall totals at this time, Indy DPW is preparing for the possibility of hazardous conditions and significant travel impacts.

“Indy DPW reminds drivers to follow best practices when traveling in winter weather including: 
 

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• Staying informed: Before leaving home, find out about the road conditions. Drivers need to know the weather and their limits. Follow the National Weather Service (NWS) and local media to help you stay on top of the latest conditions and forecasts. 
• Time and space: Leave plenty of time to reach your destination safely. Remember to drive below the posted speed limit and leave plenty of room between cars and Indy DPW vehicles. Always watch out for pedestrians. 
• Pack extra resources: Stock your vehicle with extra resources that may be useful. Some resources include water, blankets, chargers for devices, extra clothes, and salt. 

“Indianapolis constituents can stay up to date on winter weather events online by following us on Twitter @IndySnowForce and @IndyDPW. The Indy Snow Force Viewer will also be activated for this winter weather event, identifying roads located along standard routes that have been recently plowed or treated with salt during a snow event.

“For more information, please visit the Indy DPW Snow Force webpage at: indy.gov/snow“

Indianapolis Department of Public Works