The Hoosiers won a tough game against a rugged Illinois team to bring their record to 12-2 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten.
Scroll below for instant reaction as the game unfolded.
7:00 p.m. ET -- Devonte Green will start in place of the injured Rob Phinisee. Romeo Langford, Justin Smith, Juwan Morgan, and Al Durham round out the Indiana starting five.
13:58 1H: Illinois 15, Indiana 13 -- Indiana’s first bucket of the game is a three from Juwan Morgan. If he continues to hit from deep, Morgan is going to be even more dangerous than he already is. Morgan followed that by hitting his first two free throws of the game. He’s playing both ends of the floor at a really high level right now. It’s been a surprisingly free-flowing game thus far, given Illinois’ play style.
11:48 1H: Illinois 20, Indiana 13 -- The game has gotten more muddled and it’s playing to Illinois’ advantage in a big way. The Hoosiers can’t get anything going right now on offense. Indiana needs to respond quickly, or the Illinois pressure could become a major issue.
7:52 1H: Illinois 25, Indiana 15 -- Nothing is falling right now for Indiana. They’re getting open looks from beyond the arc that just aren’t falling. Romeo Langford and Juwan Morgan will need to attack the rim more for Indiana to get this one under control. Right now, Langford is forcing up shots instead of driving, and the offense is suffering because of it.
3:35 1H: Illinois 27, Indiana 25 -- The Hoosiers have cut the Illinois lead to two after showing some aggression on the offensive end of the floor. They’re getting to the rim and taking shots, rather than settling for contested jumpers. Langford is up to eight points and Morgan has nine as they continue to carry the Indiana offense.
Halftime: Indiana 32, Illinois 32 – The Indiana half-court offense stalled again. Langford had an open lane but approached it slowly and allowed his man to recover, and Devonte Green dropped a pass that would’ve been an open catch-and-shoot three. Fortunately for the Hoosiers, the possession ended with an open look, but you still want to see them execute better on their two initial chances. Their ability to run in transition has helped keep the game close. Langford still isn’t doing great from the line, hitting one of his two attempts late in the first half.
15:57 2H: Indiana 40, Illinois 32 -- Langford has come out hot for Indiana, scoring Indiana’s first five points, and diving on the floor for a loose ball. He’s showing the kind of energy the Hoosiers need if they want to separate from Illinois. They’ve also upped their defensive intensity in the second half, holding Illinois scoreless through the first four minutes.
11:37 2H: Indiana 48, Illinois 38 -- Langford and Morgan are both imposing their will now. The duo has combined for 30 of Indiana’s 48 points and there isn’t a lot that Illinois can do about it. This Indiana team didn’t play well as a whole so far, but it’s stars have put it in a spot to win the game. Their offense has opened the floor for everyone else as Indiana builds on their lead.
7:26 2H: Indiana 55, Illinois 44 -- Langford hits an open three and Hoosier fans breathe a sigh of relief. While he’s still struggling from range, it’s always nice to see a bucket fall. The Hoosiers have kept control of the game since the first media timeout of the second half. Their 11-point lead is a solid cushion that their defense should allow them to sustain, even if the offense isn’t performing at the highest level.
3:34 2H: Indiana 62, Illinois 53 -- Juwan Morgan came up limping after a play with around six minutes left in the game, after drawing a foul on a drive to the basket. He came out of the game after making his second free throw. He re-entered the game with a little over four minutes remaining, with no noticeable limp. Devonte Green has struggled all game for Indiana, losing the ball near the basket on several occasions, and turning the ball over with bad passes.
Final: Indiana 73, Illinois 65 – Indiana closed the game out to move to 3-0 in the Big Ten and 12-2 overall. It was an ugly game down the stretch, which is what Illinois wants, but the Hoosiers were able to overcome that to hang on for a win.
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