Fending off Maryland
With fewer than two minutes remaining, Indiana led Maryland, 76-70, and Maryland scored the final seven points. Within the final six or seven minutes, after Indiana had built quite a lead, there were opportunities Indiana didn't take advantage of, especially when Maryland wasn't sure of how to counter the Hoosiers, and it came back to bite Indiana when Maryland found some traction offensively later in the game.
Trayce Jackson-Davis had an opportunity inside as the buzzer sounded, but it didn't go.
Coming out firing
Coming into the game, three-point shots from Maryland forward Jalen Smith were going to be as dangerous as any shot taken Sunday. Earlier this month in College Park, once Maryland adjusted by moving Smith toward the perimeter, the Indiana defense had a hard time stretching outward and eventually broke, allowing lanes to the basket.
On Sunday, Smith began the day on the perimeter, and he scored the first points of the game from three. That essentially defined the way the first 10 minutes of the game was played. It was more than just Smith. Seven different Terrapins knocked down at least one three in the first half.
Indiana had allowed nine threes in each of its last two games and a season-high of 12, on two occasions, and Maryland hit 9-of-17 in the first half. Smith had three of those nine.
In response, Indiana knocked down some of its own, shooting 67 percent (6-of-9) from three by halftime.
IU taken out of its game in first half
Michigan State connected on its first five threes to start the second half when Indiana defeated the Spartans on Thursday, and Indiana was able to stay true to its game and not "jack up shots," as Archie Miller put it. But when the Spartans were connecting on threes, the Hoosiers had a healthy lead.
The threes that Maryland knocked down to begin the game Sunday took Indiana out of its typical pace and offensive philosophy. While Indiana was hitting threes in the first half, the Hoosiers couldn't get anything going inside. Only 10 of its 36 first half points came from inside the paint, and it only attempted five free throws before halftime.
Trayce Jackson-Davis recording two early fouls also forced him to miss more than half of the first half as well, which hurt in finding offense inside and defending the perimeter and paint simultaneously.
Weathering the storm
Indiana has taken its punches this season, including a 10-minute scoring drought in College Park on Jan. 4. In Big Ten play, it's been able to answer them back positively, but this Indiana team has depended largely on good starts to halves.
After scoring five points to end the first half and cut into a Maryland lead that was as large as 14 points, Indiana got the restart in the second half. The Hoosiers started the second half with a 7-0 run, capped by an Al Durham three, to pull within two points. The Indiana stretched that run to 24-7 by the under-12 timeout.
The Hoosiers were finding opportunities inside, the spacing was more efficient and their passes were more deliberate.
Limiting turnovers
Indiana has played two of the best defensive Big Ten teams in its last two games and, as of the 3:30 mark, had turned the ball over just 11 times.
Limiting the empty possessions offensively has been key for Indiana. Defensively, th eHoosiers haven't necessarily forced a lot of turnovers, but preventing handing the ball to their opponents has gone a long way.
It did Sunday as well. Maryland scored just five points off turnovers, as of the 2:37 mark.
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