Over a stretch from 9:25 to 3:21 in the second half, Northwestern unleashed a decisive 21-4 run, draining five 3-pointers and extinguishing Indiana’s hopes of leaving Welsh-Ryan Arena with a victory.
The Wildcats' 79-70 triumph on Wednesday highlighted one of Indiana’s greatest flaws this season: its consistent inconsistency.
For much of the game, Indiana traded runs with Northwestern in a contest defined by momentum shifts. Yet, when it mattered most, the Wildcats delivered the knockout blow, and the Hoosiers had no answer.
“We have a hell of a defensive half, and then we come out and give up 54 points and pile on the turnovers,” Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said postgame. “We just didn’t play well in the second half.”
Indiana’s latest defeat encapsulated the erratic nature of its season. Early in the first half, Northwestern rattled off an 8-0 run in just over two minutes to build a 23-13 lead. As they’ve done for most of the year, the Hoosiers countered with an 8-0 burst of their own, cutting the deficit to two.
The back-and-forth pattern continued until Indiana seized control late in the first half. Over the final 9:35, the Hoosiers mounted an 18-2 run, holding the Wildcats without a field goal and heading into halftime with a 31-25 lead. Balanced scoring, stifling defense and smooth execution suggested Indiana might be turning the a corner on Wednesday night.
But that corner turned into a cul-de-sac.
Just 52 seconds into the second half, Northwestern responded with an 8-0 run, reclaiming the lead at 39-37. The Hoosiers countered with a 10-0 surge, but their momentum quickly fizzled as Northwestern delivered the game’s defining sequence.
Propelled by three 3-pointers, the Wildcats launched a 13-0 barrage to build a 62-52 lead with 5:49 remaining. Indiana’s defense faltered, its offense stagnated, and the game slipped away.
The loss was no anomaly for Indiana but rather a microcosm of its season. Woodson’s postgame remarks reflected the frustration of a team unable to sustain success.
“[The] same things [Northwestern] ran in the first half, I thought we defended well,” Woodson said. “In the second half, we just gave up too many opportunities, and they made us pay.”
Inconsistency has defined Indiana’s campaign from the outset. The Hoosiers opened the season with a promising 4-0 start but faltered in The Bahamas at the Battle 4 Atlantis, suffering blowout losses to Louisville and Gonzaga.
Big Ten play has been equally erratic. A dominant home win over Minnesota was followed by a disheartening 17-point road loss to Nebraska. A five-game win streak, highlighted by victories against Rutgers, Penn State and USC, provided hope, but back-to-back 25-point defeats to Iowa and Illinois erased that progress.
Even in their brightest moments, such as the recent overtime road victory against Ohio State, the Hoosiers have struggled to build on success. Wednesday night’s loss to Northwestern was yet another reminder of their inability to string together complete performances.
At their best, the Hoosiers have shown the potential to contend in the Big Ten, with balanced scoring, aggressive defense and disciplined execution. At their worst, they’ve appeared disjointed and vulnerable to momentum-shifting runs like the one Northwestern used to secure the win on Wednesday in Evanston, Illinois.
According to advanced analytics from EvanMiya.com, Indiana is one of the streakiest teams in the nation, a trend evident throughout the season. The Hoosiers are capable of electrifying scoring bursts but equally prone to giving up substantial runs.
For sophomore Mackenzie Mgbako, the solution lies in discipline and cohesion.
“Staying cohesive as a team, playing through our offense, talking on defense and following the game plan,” Mgbako said. “Getting to the second side, trusting that what we have works, and following our practice.”
The loss to Northwestern leaves Indiana at yet another crossroads. The Hoosiers have the talent to compete, but time is running out to find the consistency needed to salvage their season.
As the final buzzer sounded Wednesday night, Indiana’s shortcomings were on full display. The Hoosiers had flashes of brilliance but failed to sustain them.
For a team capable of so much more, the clock is ticking. Consistency isn’t just a buzzword for Indiana; it’s the difference between a lost season and a shot at fulfilling the promise of a talented roster.
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