How it happened: Hoosiers use second half surge to defeat Maryland
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Hoosiers were back in action on Sunday afternoon, taking on the Maryland Terrapins in a conference match-up on the road. Maryland was looking to even the season series up with the Hoosiers on their senior day, but Indiana had other plans. The Hoosiers defeated Maryland by a final score of 83-78, earning their second straight victory.
Here's how it happened in College Park:
A tale of two halves:
The Hoosiers turned the ball over on 27% of their possessions in the first half, and trailed by as many as 16 points. In the second half, it was a completely different story. At one point, the Hoosiers made 11 straight shots and held Maryland scoreless in a 6+ minute stretch. It was 50-35 in favor of Indiana in the second half, as the Hoosiers connected on 73% of their attempts in the final 20 minutes.They scored 1.47 points per possession and forced 10 Maryland turnovers as well in the second half. It was an inspired effort for the road team.
Xavier Johnson gives a spark:
The senior once again came off the bench in this contest, and he gave his team a solid all-around effort. Johnson had 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, to go along with six assists, three rebounds, and a steal. The point guard also committed just one turnover and really helped stabilize the offense in the middle of the second half run. Johnson was tied with Malik Reneau with a plus+14 for the game while on the court. His presence on the defensive end was also a factor, and fans got a glimpse of how this team can operate when "X" is the X factor on any given day. Indiana will be looking for Johnson to help lead the way down the stretch of the regular season.
Free-Throws as a rare strength:
For a team that has struggled from the foul line all season, Sunday's game was a welcome sight. The Hoosiers went 14-for-17 from the line, which is an 82.4% clip. Indiana also limited Maryland's trips to the charity stripe. Even though the Terps shot 9-for-10 on the day, Indiana will take that number of attempts on any given day in a conference game. The Hoosiers also had a solid day from the 3-point line, knocking down seven of their 16 attempts.
Full Box Score:
Next up: The Hoosiers will take a modest two-game win streak to "The Barn" for a date with Minnesota on Wednesday night.
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