Indiana basketball was back in action in Assembly Hall on Saturday for an afternoon affair against visiting Chattanooga.
The Hoosiers, behind strong second half defense and strong showings from Malik Reneau and Mackenzie Mgbako, survived an upset bid from the Mocs, winning 74-65.
Here's how the Saturday matinee unfolded in Bloomington.
INDIANA STARTS SLOW ON THE DEFENSIVE END
After a week off following a disappointing 17-point loss on the road against Nebraska, Indiana had an opportunity to get back into the win column on Saturday against Chattanooga. However, the Hoosiers lacked the intensity they needed, especially on the defensive end of the floor, throughout much of the first half.
Credit has to be given to the Mocs, who were consistently able to generate open looks at the basket and from outside the 3-point arc. Chattanooga's half court sets weren't exactly complicated, but they were still effective against Indiana's unattentive defense in the opening 20 minutes of the game.
In the first half of play on Saturday, Chattanooga shot 48.3% from the field and 6-of-13 (46.2%) from downtown.
The Mocs' small, yet shifty guards, presented a problem for the Hoosiers at the point-of-attack in the first period defensively. Those smaller guards were able to guy by their primary defender and penetrate into the lane, forcing Indiana's defense to collapse, resulting in open looks all over the floor throughout the first half.
Indiana's defense did tighten up during the back half of the first frame. Chattanooga managed 12 points over the final 9:30 of the first half, a result of Indiana going with a smaller, more defensive-focused lineup.
The Mocs were still generating their fair share of clean looks, they just weren't falling at the same rate they were to begin the game. Despite the slow start to the game on the defensive side of the ball, Indiana managed to take a 41-38 lead into the halftime intermission.
MACKENZIE MGBAKO RETURNS TO FORM, MALIK RENEAU PERFORMS AS WELL
Prior to Saturday afternoon's battle with Chattanooga, Mackenzie Mgbako had struggled as of late. Over Mgbako's last three games entering Saturday, the reigning Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year had separate performances of two four points and two points.
Against the Mocs, the sophomore forward looked like he was back on track. Mgbako looked more confident in his jumper, most likely a byproduct of what was a much better performance on the defensive side of the ball--an area Mgbako had struggled as of late.
It's also important to note, Mgbako wasn't battling foul trouble throughout the game, like he was in Indiana's road loss to Nebraska. By staying out of foul trouble and staying engaged on the defensive end of the floor, Mgbako was able to stay on the court and find a rhythm offensively.
The Indiana forward finished the game against Chattanooga with 14 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting overall and 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range.
For the Hoosiers to be at their best, they need production out of Mgbako on a nightly basis. That starts with the sophomore staying engaged and out of foul trouble defensively.
Mgbako managed to do both of those things on Saturday, leading to a solid showing on the offensive side of the ball.
Meanwhile, Malik Reneau had four points on 2-of-5 shooting, including 0-for-1 shooting from distance in the first half on Saturday against Chattanooga. His Hoosiers took just a three point lead into the halftime break.
Coming out of the locker room for the second half of play, Reneau, and his Indiana teammates, upped the intensity on both sides of the floor.
During one stretch of the second half, Reneau scored in the paint to push Indiana's lead to 59-48. On Indiana's next offensive possession, Reneau remained active going after an offensive rebound. He came away with a steal and then proceeded to put a Chattanooga defender on a poster.
That sequence brought the Assembly Hall crowd to its feet, as the Indiana faithful acknowledged the uptick in energy and intensity in the second half.
All told, Reneau tallied 14 points, 10 of which came in the second half, on 7-of-12 shooting.
9-PLUS MINUTE FIELD GOAL DROUGHT NEARLY DOOMS HOOSIERS
In the first half against Chattanooga, the offense wasn't the issue for the Hoosiers. It was the defense that let Indiana down throughout the first 20 minutes. However, in the second half, the script was flipped.
As Indiana's defense picked up in the final period of play, the offense vanished. At one point in the second half, Indiana went nearly seven minutes without a point and nearly 10 minutes with a field goal.
Freshman Bryson Tucker hit a pair of free throws with 10:46 to play in the second half. Indiana didn't score again until Trey Galloway went 1-for-2 at the charity stripe six minutes and 23 seconds later.
In the field goal department, Indiana failed to convert a basket for nine minutes and 47 seconds between a Malik Reneau dunk and a Mackenzie Mgbako layup.
Despite Indiana's offense vanishing for much of the second half, the Hoosiers' strong play on the defensive side of the ball in the second period helped the Hoosiers stave off the Mocs' upset bid.
FINAL STATS
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