ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Mike Woodson says that winning in the Big Ten is never easy and road wins are even more difficult. On Tuesday night, Indiana found itself in a tough spot: on the road in the Big Ten for the first time and without its starting point guard.
In their second conference game, the Hoosiers were tested against the Michigan Wolverines but emerged with a 78-75 victory. Indiana had to do the little things to earn a win, and they did. They walked out of the Crisler Center with a gritty win.
After committing 10 turnovers in the first half, Indiana improved as the game went. Michigan, a good 3-point shooting team, made some crucial shots in the first half, but Indiana’s defence held them to just one in the second. Overall, Indiana appeared to be a squad eager to go to any length to win. Through eight games that haven’t always been attractive, the Hoosiers have found a way to win.
“We’re a competitive team,” stated Mike Woodson after the game. “We’re having a good time. I believe we talked after the UConn game and agreed that we needed to play tougher. They hit us in the face, and we paid dearly for it in that game. We’ve gotten a lot better since then.”
With Johnson sidelined, Indiana needed more production from its bench. Payton Sparks and Anthony Walker gave Indiana quality minutes in the first half, while Kaleb Banks made his time count throughout the entire game. Those three came into the game and gave Indiana more than just a few numbers in the box score. But the best performance from the bench came from sophomore CJ Gunn.
The Lawrence North product had been unable to make perimeter shots in IU’s first seven games but connected twice from deep on Tuesday. Gunn finished with eight points, two rebounds, and four steals while being a major factor on the defensive end. It was the most minutes for Gunn since the UConn lost. More importantly for Woodson and the rest of the team, Gunn now has a performance under his belt that gives him confidence moving forward.
Indiana’s whole second unit performed admirably on a night when they needed every bit of assistance they could get.
“He was great,” remarked Woodson. “He made shots, but in a defensive tone, and he was very engaging on defence.” He got four steals, but our bench was outstanding. Walker, Kaleb, and Big Payton were all excellent off the bench, which we will require.”
Games like this demonstrate how difficult it can be to win in the Big Ten.
Indiana didn’t have a senior point guard captain and was on the road for the first time this season, yet the team held together for 40 minutes. On offence, the Hoosiers made timely shots and made important stops when it counted the most. Three different Hoosiers scored in double figures, topped by Malik Reneau’s 15 points. It wasn’t easy, but Indiana persevered and is now 2-0 in the Big Ten.
Throughout its first eight games, Indiana has regularly found itself in close games but has found ways to win them. Tuesday was the most recent example.
“I thought we fought,” said Woodson. “My idea heading into tonight’s game was that you had to come out and set the tone like you did against Maryland to give yourself a chance to win… We made crucial baskets and rebounds down the stretch, and we got stops when we needed them.”
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