Mike Woodson's Indiana teams have certainly died by the long ball at times, but on Wednesday night the Hoosiers may have lived by it.
That’s because, with their tournament hopes hanging in the balance, Indiana made 10-of-15 3-pointers against Penn State, giving IU back-to-back wins with its 73-68 victory over the Nittany Lions.
Indiana’s 66.7% mark from beyond the arc is the second-best in the nearly four-season Woodson era. Wednesday's performance trails only the 2021-22 team’s percentage on Jan. 26, 2022, when it shot 76.9%—also against Penn State at home.
The Hoosiers went 4-of-7 in the first half and an even more impressive 6-of-8 in the second, with each made shot from downtown more important than the last, especially considering the magnitude of the game.
According to most bracketology experts, Indiana is either in the “last four in” or “first four out” categories, making this matchup with Penn State a potential elimination game if the Hoosiers were to lose.
"But these guys are playing for something. We're trying to get in the tournament," Woodson said postgame, explaining that this team has one goal in mind—a goal that could have been dashed with a loss to the Lions.
In most scenarios, Indiana would have lost this game, as its 15-for-25 mark from the free-throw line and allowing the Nittany Lions to shoot over 50% would usually doom the Hoosiers. But its performance from 3-point range saved Indiana from a loss—and potentially its season.
What made this 3-point performance special wasn’t just that Indiana made 10 shots from distance—though that’s certainly impressive—but that it came with remarkable efficiency.
Ten isn’t even the most 3s made this season for the Hoosiers, as their 12 against Rutgers takes first place. But that was done on 27 attempts, making Indiana’s performance against Penn State far more efficient.
"Not just 10, 10-for-15, big, big difference," Penn State head coach Mike Rhoades said after his team’s defeat.
It wasn’t just that Indiana was making 3s—it was that the Hoosiers were taking good shots and knocking them down when they needed to. That’s something any basketball team would be proud to do, but for this Indiana team—given its history from beyond the arc—it makes it all the more impressive.
Luke Goode got Indiana’s 3-point offense going early, as he made both of the Hoosiers’ long-range attempts in the first eight minutes of the game.
While it was still early, starting 2-for-2 was already a bright spot. With Indiana’s recent struggles from the 3-point line, simply making both attempts to start the game was notable.
The Hoosiers then came back down to earth, missing their next three 3-point attempts. Goode couldn’t make it 3-for-3, while Mackenzie Mgbako and Kanaan Carlyle each couldn’t get their first attempt to fall.
Indiana was now sitting at 2-for-5 after three straight misses and wouldn’t make another 3-pointer for almost five minutes of game time, allowing Penn State to go on a 10-0 run and take a five-point lead.
This was the Nittany Lions’ largest run of the game, directly resulting from the Hoosiers’ inability to knock down a 3. It was apparent that the 3-pointer was Indiana’s offensive focus against Penn State—contrary to what has been seen year in and year out from Woodson-led IU squads.
Indiana turned it around, though—and in a big way. The Hoosiers made their final two 3-pointers of the first half and then really got going after the break.
Mgbako missed the first Hoosier 3-pointer of the second half, but IU then rattled off six in a row, each one crucial to winning the game and keeping its season alive.
Trey Galloway was key down the stretch, as four of those six makes from downtown were his, including a stretch where he hit 3s on back-to-back possessions, giving IU a 73-69 lead with 5:14 remaining.
This resulted in the loudest crowd reaction of the game and gave Indiana a lead it wouldn’t relinquish—helped in part by another made 3-pointer.
"I think just we knew that they're a heavy team that closes in on gaps. And I think we were going to be able to get open shots. And keep shooting the ball with confidence. That's the biggest thing we've been kind of preaching," Galloway said postgame, elaborating on why Indiana was able to find success from deep.
Myles Rice hit a shot from beyond the arc to push the Hoosiers' lead to five with 2:46 to go. After a steal and layup from Rice, the game was firmly in Indiana's control despite its missed free throws down the stretch.
After a Galloway miss at the end of the shot clock in the final minute, the Hoosiers finished 10-for-15 from deep—the number that ensured this matchup with Penn State wasn’t a hangover game after beating Purdue, but a momentum-building contest that may have vaulted Indiana closer to playing in its third NCAA Tournament in Woodson’s four years.
The Hoosiers are fighting for something, and that’s incredibly apparent. But against Penn State, that fight showed itself through smart, poised offense rather than the defensive, transition-heavy game they played against Purdue.
"I think we're coming together and we know we're a better team than we've shown. And we still have a chance, and we're fighting for a spot in the tournament and we're fighting for just getting better and pushing our record in the Big Ten," Galloway said. And as a fifth-year senior, his fight is second to none on this Hoosier team.
He was nearly perfect from beyond the arc, going 4-of-5, with those four makes being some of the biggest shots of the game. Rice, on the other hand, was perfect, going 2-for-2—both big-time second-half shots.
Goode went 2-of-3, while Carlyle was 1-of-2 and Mgbako shot 1-of-3 from deep. This wasn’t necessarily a barrage of 3-pointers, but Indiana found its shooters, took good shots, and made them at a 66.7% rate—an incredible recipe for success.
"I've been saying that sh*t for three years. Guys have been getting good looks but hadn't knocked them down, and tonight we made them. It was nice to see. I hope that's a good sign moving forward," Woodson said postgame, explaining that he's always had faith in his teams—and this time, it finally paid off.
The Hoosiers are still fighting for their NCAA Tournament lives. A loss here would have doomed them, but Indiana’s 3-point shooting came through and saved the day.
While that’s not uncommon in today’s 3-point-centric era, for the Hoosiers—a team that has been plagued by shooting woes in recent years—they may have finally turned things around at the perfect time.
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