The Minute After: Maryland

Editor’s observe: Ryan is out on paternity depart. Justin Albers shall be writing The Minute After in his absence.

Ideas on a 70-60 win towards the Terrapins:

Survive and advance. That’s all that issues in March.

And whereas this Indiana staff definitely by no means makes it simple late in video games, the Hoosiers discover new methods to win on a regular basis – a tell-tale signal of a mature staff.

On Friday night time, Indiana used a 20-2 second-half spurt to drag away from Maryland, and in the end held on for a 70-60 win to advance to the Massive Ten Event semifinals for the second consecutive 12 months.

Indiana trailed 41-34 with 16:04 to go in a sport that resembled the staff’s earlier assembly with Maryland in School Park. The whistles weren’t going the Hoosiers’ approach, they have been getting beat up on the offensive glass early, they usually repeatedly had defensive breakdowns leading to open Maryland 3-pointers. The Terrapins have been merely more durable than Indiana for the primary 24 minutes of the sport.

However Mike Woodson’s Hoosiers remained poised, and quite than letting the adversity tear them aside, it appeared to mild a hearth beneath them. They began to make pictures – Miller Kopp instantly buried an enormous 3-pointer to chop the result in 4, and Tamar Bates buried an enormous 3-pointer from the left wing six minutes later to construct the Indiana result in 54-43.

However this sport was received due to Indiana’s mindset – an attacking, unrelenting mindset on each ends of the ground from a staff that refused to be denied.

Jalen Hood-Schifino and Trayce Jackson-Davis stopped settling, and took it proper on the Maryland protection time and time once more. Through the essential 20-2 run, Jackson-Davis scored seven factors on layups on free throws, and Hood-Schifino added one other three factors in the identical approach.

The Hoosiers have been suffocating on the defensive finish, the place they’ve hung their hat all season lengthy. After poor communication and sluggish rotations within the first half, Indiana pressured the Terrapins into highly-contested pictures late within the shot clock on virtually each possession within the second half.

Maryland was simply 8-of-32 (25 %) from the sector within the second half, and the Terrapins missed their last 5 pictures from the sector. After pulling down six 3-pointers within the first half to take a two-point halftime lead, the Terps have been simply 3-of-11 from past the arc within the second half.

Jahmir Younger, who killed the Hoosiers together with his velocity within the first matchup and scored 20 factors, was simply 3-of-15 from the sector on Friday – together with 1-of-10 within the second half.

“Our protection – to carry this staff to 60 factors – I’m very happy,” Mike Woodson stated in his postgame tv interview. “After we lastly took the lead, we didn’t relinquish it.”

The Hoosiers obtained sturdy performances from sudden sources on this one. Freshman Malik Reneau performed considered one of his greatest video games of the 12 months with eight factors and 11 rebounds in 21 massive minutes off the bench, and Bates added 5 factors and stable protection in 18 minutes. That helped make up for one more powerful sport for Trey Galloway, who was in foul bother all through and didn’t rating.

However Indiana will at all times go as its two stars go, and that was once more the case on Friday night time. Hood-Schifino responded from a dismal 1-of-14 efficiency in a January loss at Maryland – maybe his worst sport of the 12 months – with a fully very good effort on Friday. He wasn’t excellent, however the Massive Ten freshman of the 12 months confirmed elite toughness. Even when issues weren’t going his approach, Hood-Schifino simply saved coming, and his teammates got here with him.

He completed with 19 factors on 8-of-15 taking pictures, with six rebounds and a career-high three blocked pictures in 40 minutes, and he appeared as engaged as he’s been in any sport all season. Hood-Schifino’s three blocks matched his blocked shot complete for all the common season.

Jackson-Davis, the first-team All-American, was excellent once more, ending with a game-high 24 factors, 9 rebounds, seven assists and 4 blocks. The Hoosiers outscored Maryland 36-18 within the paint, and Jackson-Davis had quite a bit to do with that.

Coming into Friday, the Hoosiers had did not beat solely three Massive Ten groups – Maryland, Penn State, and Northwestern. They checked Maryland off that listing on Friday night time, and may have an opportunity to avenge their earlier season to Penn State on Saturday afternoon. The Nittany Lions upset two-seeded Northwestern earlier Friday night.

“That’s the Massive Ten,” Woodson stated with a smile. “The Massive Ten is hard.”

On Friday night time, the Hoosiers appeared like a staff decided to make a run to the Massive Ten event championship sport, one thing they’ve executed solely as soon as (they’ve by no means received a Massive Ten event title). They’ll have a possibility to get there once more towards a sizzling Penn State staff on Saturday in Chicago.

The Hoosiers will undoubtedly take it one sport at a time, however the best way they’ve appeared recently, this looks like a staff that has its sights set on postseason {hardware}.

(Picture credit score: IU Athletics)

Filed to: 2023 Massive Ten event, Maryland Terrapins