Ideas on a 72-68 loss to UCLA:
Indiana had the 2-3 zone rocking once more. Mackenzie Mgbako was getting buckets early, too.
However as the primary half rolled alongside, UCLA’s elite protection began to place the clamps down. After a Mgbako bucket on the 16:16 mark, Indiana didn’t make one other basket till Oumar Ballo put one house with 8:34 to go, a field-goal drought of seven:42. And in contrast to Michigan State, the Bruins weren’t as stymied by Indiana’s zone. The Hoosiers didn’t keep it up, returning to man-to-man protection for a lot, although not all of, the remainder of the competition.
Aday Mara, all 7-foot-3 of him, was a one-man spotlight reel in his eight minutes of first-half motion. Mara made his presence felt on either side of the ball, scoring six factors, blocking two pictures and doling out a pleasant help on a Trent Perry bucket.
Indiana’s offense continued to wrestle and the first-half numbers weren’t fairly. The Hoosiers scored simply 25 factors on .84 factors per possession. Because the Bruins confirmed extra stress and double-teaming on Ballo and Malik Reneau, the Hoosiers couldn’t capitalize on the 3-point seems to be they discovered of it. Indiana completed the primary half simply 2-of-13 (15.4 %) from deep and trailed by 10 at half (35-25).
IU turned it up within the second half. The rebounding was higher. Luke Goode heated up (14 second-half factors on 5-of-7 capturing) as he scored in any respect three ranges. However each time the Hoosiers threatened to get inside a possession, UCLA had a solution. Indiana labored it to a four-point deficit on 5 events within the second half earlier than the ultimate minute of motion. Every time, the Bruins scored factors to fend off IU’s comebacks.
It appeared like UCLA would stroll away with this one as Sebastian Mack grabbed a rebound off a Goode missed 3-pointer with 1:18 to go and the Bruins up seven (70-63). However as Anthony Leal fouled Mack, Mack tossed an elbow into his face. Upon evaluation, Mack was charged with a technical foul and Leal a typical foul. Mack missed the entrance finish of his 1-and-1. Goode sunk each free throws for Indiana and the Hoosiers received the ball.
Myles Rice took an ill-advised lengthy 2 on that possession. Goode then needed to foul Dylan Andrews to attempt to lengthen the sport. Andrews missed the entrance finish of a 1-and-1 and Mgbako discovered Reneau for a bucket on IU’s ensuing possession. Reneau was fouled and made the free throw for a 3-point play, the Hoosiers lastly getting it inside a possession at 70-68 with 53 seconds to play. Mack missed a driving lay-up on the opposite finish and Rice and Leal have been capable of tie up Skyy Clark on the rebound with the possession arrow favoring Indiana.
Rice took one other questionable shot, a mid-range one off the appropriate baseline that missed for Indiana. Mgbako had a point-blank putback on Rice’s miss that didn’t drop, however IU retained possession because the ball went out of bounds off UCLA.
Out of the baseline out-of-bounds play, Mgbako labored to get open within the left nook for a 3-pointer, getting one other nice look on a go-ahead shot. But it surely, like his putback, simply couldn’t discover the web. UCLA grabbed the rebound, and this time, Andrews hit each of the free throws to present UCLA the victory at 72-68.
“I want I had the reply,” Mike Woodson mentioned after the sport on Indiana’s shut losses this season. “I am going again to the Northwestern recreation. The Maryland recreation. The Purdue recreation. The Michigan recreation. They’re all winnable video games.”
Tonight’s loss is Indiana’s fourth straight at house. It was one other shot at a Quad 1 win that the Hoosiers couldn’t end. One other one presents itself subsequent weekend towards Purdue.
However time is operating out on the season. If Indiana can’t string some wins collectively quickly, it’ll be curtains on its possibilities to make the Large Dance.
(Picture credit score: IU Athletics)
Filed to: UCLA Bruins
