Indiana escaped with an 84-76 win over Nebraska on Sunday night, following an 18-point lead evaporating to a two-point deficit late in the second half.
Nebraska came into this game with the second-worst defense in the Big Ten, and Indiana took advantage in the first half. The Hoosiers had seven assists on their first nine baskets and were humming on all levels.
Rob Phinisee came out of the gates on fire in this game. The junior point guard had 16 points in the first half on 6-of-10 shooting (3-of-4 from three). He stepped on Trayce Jackson-Davis’s foot towards the end of the first half, which twisted his knee and sent him hobbling to the sideline. Phinisee played in the second half, but he looked like he lost a step. His health will be something to monitor going forward. He would finish with 18 points.
However, the bountiful harvest on offense didn’t last long for Indiana. After going into halftime ahead 46-34, the Hoosiers let Nebraska back into the game with poor defense and massive scoring droughts of their own. The Cornhuskers were beating the Hoosiers down the floor in transition, leading to wide-open looks from three.
Nebraska went on a 14-2 run in the second half, led by two threes by Lat Mayen. Mayen finished with 15 points in the game, second to only Teddy Allen, who finished with 21.
Indiana was neck-and-neck with the Huskers down the stretch of the second half, but ultimately got their footing on defense. Nebraska made just one of its last ten shots in the game, and the Hoosiers walked out with the win.
It wasn’t a glamorous victory by any stretch of the imagination. This was arguably the Hoosiers’ worst defensive performance of the season. Fred Hoiberg wants his team to play up-tempo and shoot a lot of threes, and Indiana did little to take them out of that strategy.
The Cornhuskers managed to take Trayce Jackson-Davis completely out of this game for the most part. Indiana’s best player attempted just a single shot in the first half. Jackson-Davis got more involved in the second half and finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, but it was undoubtedly an off game for him. He also went 9-of-14 from the line.
Al Durham added 17 points and Race Thompson chipped in 11.
Indiana finishes their first week of January basketball with two wins and one loss. They will take on Purdue next Thursday (1/14) at Assembly Hall in what will be the quietest Purdue/Indiana game of all time.
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