Indiana snapped its four-game losing streak Thursday night in a 89-77 victory over Iowa. Senior guard Devonte Green exploded for 18 points off the bench in the first half, and the Hoosiers played defense well enough on the perimeter to prevent Luka Garza's 38 points from causing a complete mid-season collapse.
Early offense
All season Indiana head coach Archie Miller has stressed turning defense into offense. Against Iowa, that's exactly what happened in the first half. The Hoosiers took advantage of 10 Hawkeye turnovers and managed to score 18 points off of them.
With Iowa junior center Luka Garza manning the paint, Indiana turned to its backcourt. Junior guard Al Durham was aggressive and slashed the the basket, earning himself a basket and a trip to the free-throw line. After the first the media timeout of the game, senior guard Devonte Green checked in for Durham and was an instant factor on the perimeter.
At times he's shown inconsistencies on the outside, but with space in front of him, Green nailed his first four shot attempts — all 3-pointers.
He led all Indiana scorers after the first 20 minutes with 18 and only trailed Garza's 21. The Hoosiers were looking at a 49-34 lead at halftime thanks to a buzzer beater 3-pointer.
Eight different players contributed to the scoring total, and freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis led Indiana's forwards with nine points and was part of a five-man tie for the team high in rebounds with three.
Defending Luka Garza
When shots are falling and the crowd is excited, the opposing team's leading scorer falls out of focus. Garza garnered the majority of Iowa's 77 points in the game, but it wasn't until 8:46 in the second half that another Hawkeye registered double figures. Sophomore guard Joe Wieskamp finished behind Garza with 16 points.
Jackson-Davis, redshirt junior Joey Brunk and senior De'Ron Davis were all tasked with defending the All-America candidate for the duration of his 40 minutes.
Garza was one of only two players in the nation to average 23 points and 9.9 rebounds entering the game. He finished with 38 and eight against the Hoosiers, but his effort wasn't enough to match the home team's.
Indiana's effort wills it to victory
The Hoosiers earned their victory by following its early-season success. Indiana secured more team rebounds than Iowa, totaling 38 for the game. This includes 15 offensive rebounds.
Indiana's bench contributed heavy minutes in this game as well. The rotational players had 45 points down the stretch, elevating the team's lead. Green headlined the players outside the starting lineup as he scored 27 points. The game never felt competitive because Iowa wasn't earning enough of the effort plays itself. As the Hawkeyes found ways to chip away at their deficit, the Hoosiers answered with points instead of scoring droughts.
Iowa only accounted for 28 rebounds, and outside of Garza, they scored 39 points.
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