Indiana Basketball traveled to Columbus on Friday evening to face off with The Ohio State Buckeyes in a game that both teams desperately needed.
After seeing a 10-point second half lead disappear, Indiana found a way to earn a victory in overtime with a 77-76 win, advancing to 14-5 and 5-3 in Big Ten play.
Here's how it happened.
INDIANA REMAINED IN CONTACT DESPITE FIRST HALF STRUGGLES
The first half was not 20 minutes to remember for Indiana. Myles Rice picked up two quick fouls in the game's opening minutes, leaving the Hoosiers without its starting point guard for three-quarters of the first half.
Indiana shot 33 percent from the field goal, including a bleak 1-of-9 clip from behind the three-point line, and went into the locker room with 29 points.
However, the defense that kept Indiana in the game in the first half. After surrendering 60 first-half points on Tuesday against Illinois, the defense - spearheaded by a spirited effort from Kanaan Carlyle - held the Buckeyes in check.
The Buckeyes shot 46.2 percent from the field in the half, but Indiana forced six Ohio State turnovers, leading to a dozen points for the Hoosiers.
The defense did a massive service to the struggling offense, keeping the team within striking distance heading into the half.
HOOSIERS COLLAPSE LATE IN SECOND HALF
Following Luke Goode's jumper to extend Indiana's lead to 68-58 with 5:12 left in the game, Ohio State fans were headed toward the exits.
The Hoosier bench was full of swagger and it appeared as if Indiana was going to erase a six-point halftime deficit to get an all-important conference victory on the road.
However, the Indiana offense went ice-cold, not scoring a single field goal in the final three minutes of regulation.
The Buckeyes offense battled back, finishing regulation with on 13-3 run capped off by a John Mobley Jr. triple with less than a minute left, erasing a ten-point Indiana lead.
Oumar Ballo missed two shots from point-blank range in the waning seconds, sending Indiana to its first overtime period of the 2024-2025 season.
GOODE AND LEAL PLAY HERO IN OVERTIME
After Tuesday's debacle in Bloomington, Luke Goode and Anthony Leal spoke to the media, explaining that Indiana needed to play with pride to turn the season around.
The overtime period was back and forth, but Goode nailed his fourth triple of the game to give Indiana a 77-76 lead with 67 seconds left in the five-minute frame.
The scoreline remained unchanged for Ohio State's final possession when John Mobley Jr. was blocked by Anthony Leal ahead of Bruce Thornton's miss at the buzzer.
Leal played hero last year in Columbus on offense, but this year, his defense that led his team to its second road victory of the month.
It was fitting that the two Indiana natives who called their team out on Tuesday solidified the victory three days later.
FINAL STATS
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