Big shots down the stretch helped Indiana earn a 67-63 victory over Michigan State on Thursday, but the consistency of the team's forwards kept the Spartans from forging a comeback.
Redshirt junior Joey Brunk led the team with 14 points and six rebounds on the night as the Hoosiers improve to 15-4 on the season.
A 3-point shot from Indiana junior Al Durham broke a tied ball game with 1:52 left to play. His shot went through, but what went unnoticed was the effort from redshirt junior forward Joey Brunk that gave the possession a chance — something that won’t show up on a stat sheet.
After freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis backed his way to the rim, he put up a shot that never had a chance to fall through the basket. Brunk reached over his defender and tipped the ball back to teammate Justin Smith, and play resumed for the Hoosiers.
Brunk collected 14 points and six rebounds in Indiana’s 67-63 win over Michigan State on Thursday, both were team-highs.
“I can’t really put it in weight, but it’s not measurable what Joe’s meant to us,” Indiana head coach Archie Miller said of Brunk after the victory. “His everyday approach is something, as a coach, you marvel at.”
Jackson-Davis followed closely behind his frontcourt partner, accounting for 12 points and four rebounds that were good for second on the team. Though it took him more than 10 minutes to get settled into the game.
On the other hand, Brunk scored three of Indiana’s first six baskets in the first half, jumpstarting a barrage of scoring that eventually stretched to a 15-point lead. However, those were the only scores for the 6-foot-11 forward in the opening period.
As Brunk suffered through his personal drought, Jackson-Davis stepped up. Once he gathered his footing, he found his way up to seven points in the half which led all Hoosiers. The team had 20 points in the paint in the first half.
“We thought that they were going to pound it inside, and our bigs did not do a very good job,” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said.“[Xavier Tillman] did, but the other guys struggled with that. We’re not very big, so that was a problem.”
The team connected on just four 3-pointers all game and only one in the first half.
Indiana’s forwards led the way on the glass as the team outrebounded Michigan State 31-29, but the Hoosiers more than doubled their opponents on the offensive boards.
“For [Aaron Henry] and [Gabe Brown] to come up with two rebounds in a game like this is a joke,” Izzo said.
Picking and choosing overall stats may highlight the team’s performance, but Michigan State still had possession of the basketball with a chance to win the game. Senior point guard Cassius Winston was lethal from 3-point range in the second half, going 3-of-4 in the second half and finishing the game with 17 points. The Hoosiers led by only two with 43 seconds to play.
Undoubtedly, Winston was taking the final shot.
“When we came out of the timeout, Coach called blue,” Jackson-Davis said. “Blue is our switch everything. And so I didn’t want him to shoot a three. I kind of baited him downhill and he took it, and I made a good play on the ball.”
Jackson-Davis was aggressive in pressuring Winston on his final opportunity. Rather than giving up a 3-point attempt, the forward had to defend the 6-foot-1 guard on the perimeter. Winston charged the rim and put the ball up near the rim.
Whether it was a shot or a pass to a trailing teammate, Jackson-Davis tipped the ball off the backboard and sealed the victory for Indiana.
“He might have been throwing a lob, but I still blocked it.”
The importance of the Hoosiers’ forwards came full circle as a result of the play. Brunk opened the game with his brief scoring effort that picked up in the second half, and Jackson-Davis ended the game on the defensive end.
“That was a big step for us tonight, being able to pull this one out,” Miller said.
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