Indiana defeated Iowa 67-65 in dramatic fashion thanks to some heroics from sophomore guard Armaan Franklin.
Indiana’s first half was abysmal for the most part. They struggled mightily on offense, especially on layups. At one point, the Hoosiers were just 5-of-27 from the field and were getting smoked on the other end.
Iowa began the game shooting 8-of-11 from the field and 5-of-5 from three. However, the Hoosiers started getting engaged defensively and forced the Hawkeyes into several large scoring droughts. Iowa’s field goal percentage was reduced to just 37 percent by halftime and a 12-2 run from Indiana inexplicably put the Hoosiers ahead 33-31 at the midway point.
It was a low-scoring affair the rest of the way. Long stretches of poor shot-making from both sides resulted in poor shooting numbers for both teams in the second half. It was close until the final buzzer. The biggest moment of the game came with 1.8 seconds to go. With the game tied at 65, Armaan Franklin hit a step back 17-footer to put Indiana up by two and win the game. He finished with just four points on 2-of-10 shooting.
The Hoosier admirably shrugged off their poor performance to start the game and came through in a must-win game. The Hoosiers move to 10-8 on the season, while Iowa is reeling after losing four of their last five games.
Race Thompson played a tremendous game. His box score stats are timid, but he showed great effort and was a key factor in locking down Luka Garza. Garza had just 18 points and two rebounds on 6-of-14 shooting. Thompson also added 15 points on the offensive end.
Trayce Jackson-Davis had a good second half to make up for a lackluster first half. He finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds on 7-of-12 shooting.
A point of weakness for the Hoosiers was the play of the starting guards. Al Durham, Rob Phinisee, and Armaan Franklin combined to shoot just 4-of-26 from the field. The theme of poor play from the starting backcourt continues to be a point of improvement for Indiana.
The freshmen for the Hoosiers played very well this game, especially when on the court together. Khristian Lander had another great game and finished with a team-high +13 plus/minus rating.
Indiana will now focus their attention on their game against Northwestern on Wednesday, where they will have a chance for revenge against the Wildcats.
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