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Indiana got the win it needed in the worst way on Thursday, taking down Maryland 74-64 in Assembly Hall.
That win ended a five-game losing streak and gave IU some good momentum heading into the last three games of the regular season.
With a few winnable games and resume-boosting wins, IU can do a lot to help itself over the next week.
Here are the main takeaways from IU's win over Maryland.
Second half offense: It was the best offensive half this season for the Hoosiers as they shot 75 percent from the field, hit three 3s and went 11-of-14 from the foul line. At one point in the half, IU hit 13 straight shots and eventually 15-of-17 en route to a 44-point half. Xavier Johnson and Race Thompson combined for 32 of the 44 points. It was the most free-flowing the Indiana offense looked all year.
Xavier Johnson dominance: Johnson has had his ups-and-downs, no doubt about it, this season. But, on Thursday, he was the best player on the floor by a wide margin and showed what this team can be when he plays this well. He had 24 points on the night and was 7-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-3 from the free throw line. He scored 20 in the second half alone. His night could have been even better if it weren't for two early fouls in the first half. Johnson also added six assists and just three turnovers.
Race Thompson's great stretch continues: Thompson has been one of the most consistent players in the Big Ten over the last month and continued that play on Thursday. He finished with 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting and added nine rebounds -- in 38 minutes. Over the last eight games, Thompson is averaging 15.2 points on 55.6 percent shooting and grabbing 8.8 rebounds per game. He has scored over 18 points three times and had two double-doubles. Thompson is easily IU's most consistent player and he is proving to be a real go-to threat down the stretch this year.
Dominating the paint: There is no question that Indiana's strength is getting into the paint, but recently they have been relying on jump shots too often. With 44 points in the paint on Thursday, it was back to the old ways for IU. In the previous five games, IU was shooting 29.4 percent from three on 17.4 attempts per game. Against Maryland, it was tying a season-low in 3s attempted with just 13 -- making five. The 3s weren't forced and there was no reliance on them like in the past.
A full 40 minutes: We've heard it all season about needing to play a full 40-minute game. IU had played great for 35-38 minutes but somehow cough up the ball a few too many times late and end up with a loss. On Thursday, that wasn't the case. IU never trailed and led for over 37 minutes of action. The biggest moment was when Maryland cut the IU lead to three midway through the second half after it was up to 10 points just two minutes earlier. It was 53-50 and IU went on its scoring outburst after that, making it a 10-point win.
Breaking the five-game skid: This was not only an important win for IU in order to stay in the NCAA Tournament bubble talk, but it was important for them mentally. After a five-game losing streak and looking like they were mentally fried, the Hoosiers came back out and played the exact way they needed to. IU has a road tilt with Minnesota next, then home against Rutgers and finish on the road at Purdue. By no means is IU 'safe', and with a few resume boosting wins to finish, IU can really 'control its own destiny' like Mike Woodson has been saying for much of the last two weeks.
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