Indiana folded at the offensive ability of Wisconsin on Dec. 7, 2019. In its second road game of the season, it was the offense that failed execute, leading to a 75-59 loss to Maryland.
The Hoosiers will play two more games at home in the next week before another road trip, providing an opportunity to regroup.
Following a 75-59 blowout at the hands of Maryland, Indiana now carries a two-game losing streak in true road games.
The team struggled to shoot the ball through the entirety of the game, ending the first half with just 20 points. By the time the clock struck zero at the end of the game, the Hoosiers converted on just 36.1% of their field goal attempts.
Oddly enough, Maryland struggled from the floor as well, despite being the home team. Paced by sophomore forward Jalen Smith’s team-high 19 points, the Terrapins mustered just under 39% shooting themselves, yet still managed to pull away for a 16-point victory.
Indiana head coach Archie Miller said in the postgame press conference that if you would have told him that Maryland would shoot that poorly, he would have believed his players had a legitimate shot to upset the No. 15 team in the nation.
“It’s tough, you play a lot of really good schools, a lot of really competitive schools,” redshirt junior forward Joey Brunk said after the game. “At home, you’re there night in and night out shooting, so maybe that plays into it. But give Maryland a lot of credit.”
On the surface, the team’s double-digit loss seems to mirror that of its first loss of the season — a full-team collapse against Wisconsin on Dec. 7. That 20-point loss came with an absence of defensive efficiency. The Badgers’ forwards offered a skill set that allowed them to score anywhere from the floor.
The script was flipped this afternoon in College Park.
“Different scenarios,” Miller said. “Obviously losing games is losing games, but there are certain ways you do it. I don’t think you watch this game at all and say that our defense allowed as many easy baskets or many easy shots. I think we were in the game because of our defense.”
It wasn’t until the end of the game, down 30 points, that the defensive intensity began to slow. Costly turnovers turned into explosive plays in transition, a mantra that the Hoosiers typically follow. This time it was turned against them.
Senior guard Devonte Green weathered the storm, along with his stats, in the final four minutes of the contest. He scored 16 of his team-high 18 points in the final waning minutes of the game.
Green was the only Indiana player with double-digit points, but it was too little too late. His late-game performance made what was a 30-point game, into what eventually turned into the final score.
Without the offense, the defense struggled in the late stages as well. Junior guard Al Durham — a team captain like Green — explained the hardships a team faces in such a forgettable afternoon, especially for a team as young as Indiana.
“We really try not to worry about that,” Durham said. “Worry about basic things that we do every day — playing hard for 40 minutes. Just not let them get down, make sure we keep a positive attitude and make sure they keep their heads up. We’ve got another game, so that’s what we’re worried about.”
Indiana will have the opportunity to respond to its back-to-back defeats back in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in two games over the next week before hitting the road once again.
Miller said after the team’s loss to Arkansas that it should be a wakeup call. In another defeat, he assured that the Hoosiers would be a more confident shooting team Wednesday against Northwestern back in Bloomington.
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