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Indiana fought back down 11 but was plagued by an inability to execute in crunch time, resulting in an 80-69 loss to Ohio State.

Indiana was short-handed in this contest due to injuries to Rob Phinisee (plantar fasciitis), Khristian Lander (sore leg), and Trey Galloway (lower body). The limited backcourt allowed Anthony Leal to play more minutes than he had in quite some time.

Both defenses were in sync early, but Indiana's guard play didn't do them any favors to break down the Buckeyes. Xavier Johnson started the game just 1-of-5 with five turnovers, with most of his attempts coming right at the rim. Eugene Brown III was the main beneficiary of Johnson's carelessness, recording two steals contributing to his seven early points.

The Hoosiers continued to have problems generating open looks but managed to hang in the game because of Parker Stewart. Stewart had eight points in the first half including two tough late shot clock threes. Malaki Branham led the Buckeyes with 10 points in the first half.

Despite a disappointing, grind-it-out first half, the Hoosiers went into the halftime locker room down just 33-28. The two teams' stats were nearly identical, with both hovering around 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from three.

Ohio State extended their lead to 11 shortly after the beginning of the second half due to seven early points from Branham. It seemed as if Ohio State would pull away, but the Hoosiers slowly but surely began to chip away at the lead. They held Ohio State without a field goal for six minutes and offensive efforts from Johnson and Miller Kopp helped pull it to 53-50.

Tamar Bates was a difference-maker down the stretch. For the first time this season, Bates stayed on the court with the starting lineup (replacing Kopp) in crunch time and made the most of his opportunity. He scored seven in the second half and led the team in plus/minus at +8.

Bates' scoring put Indiana in the driver's seat down the stretch after trailing the majority of the game. The Hoosiers forced nine straight Ohio State misses, but they had defensive lapses when it mattered most. Down two points, Ohio State found a wide-open E.J. Liddell with six seconds to go for the game. Indiana elected to not call a timeout and Johnson attempted a desperate game-winning attempt which was blocked to send the game to overtime.

Ohio State took care of business in the extra period of play. The Buckeyes made four of their five field goal attempts and took an early lead. Much like Indiana's previous game against Wisconsin, a lack of outside shot-making made it almost impossible to get back in the game after they fell behind.

It was a communal effort in the scoring column for the Hoosiers in this game. Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 13, Race Thompson got 13, Johnson had 16, and Stewart finished with 11. Johnson redeemed his awful first ten minutes and was Indiana's best player in the second half.

For the second time this season, Indiana held All-American E.J. Liddell in check. Liddell finished with 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting and seven rebounds. Branham was the best player on the court, finishing with 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Brown III also played a great two-way game, scoring 10 in addition to three steals and two blocks.

The going was tough for most of the game, but Indiana must be commended for their resiliency. It seemed as if Ohio State was going to pull away as they took an 11-point lead, but the Hoosiers stuck their heels in the dirt and fought back.

However, moral victories don't earn an NCAA Tournament bid -- wins do. At the end of the day, Indiana once again had a late-game lead that gave way and ultimately ended in a loss.

The Hoosiers need all the help they can get to earn a spot in the tournament, and things only seem to be getting worse. A win Thursday against Maryland at Assembly Hall is essential.

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