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Indiana has now won two games in a row after a five game losing streak with its win over Minnesota on Sunday, 84-79.
It was a once 27-point lead that evaporated down to just a three-point game at one point but IU was able to pull out the road win.
The Hoosiers now turn to what is essentially a play-in game on Wednesday at home against Rutgers.
Indiana is 18-10 (9-9) on the season.
Here are the main takeaways from IU's win over Minnesota.
Xavier Johnson continues terrific play: it was another night of terrific play from Indiana point guard Xavier Johnson. He went for 24 points on 7-of-16 shooting and 4-of-6 from three. He added six rebounds, eight assists and just one turnover. He also hit 4-of-6 free throws under the last minute to help seal the win for the Hoosiers. His ability to give IU this level of production from the guard position while still playing efficiently is something this team hasn't had in years. He needs to keep it up, but this has been a terrific week for Johnson and when he plays like this, Indiana will be hard to beat.
Rob Phinisee returns: IU finally got its fourth-year reserve guard back in the lineup with the return of Rob Phinisee. Not only did he come in and play a productive nine minutes off of the bench, he provided some scoring punch too. He had eight points, including 2 3s and gave Xavier Johnson the rest he needed without sacrificing much of the offensive or defensive production from the team.
Free-flowing offense: With Xavier Johnson playing at this level, it gives IU a much more open and free-flowing offense. If IU's guards aren't productive, it goes back to the 'pound it in to Trayce Jackson-Davis' offense and that will only take you so far. Indiana's guards were getting into the lane, breaking down defenders and either scoring for themselves or being able to create for their teammates. Eight players scored more then five points and eight of the nine Hoosiers who saw minutes on the floor scored. With the ball movement like it was on Sunday with 16 assists, Indiana's offense is much more difficult to defend because you know have multiple positions you have to defend. The Hoosiers have 31 assists in their last two games.
Free-throw shooting: This has been an issue for Indiana all season long, ranking 278th in the country in free throw shooting percentage (68.4 percent). In Big Ten play, they rank 14th at 68.8 percent. On Sunday, however, IU needed free throws in order to come away with a win. Indiana was 14-of-20 from the line, including 12-of-18 in the second half. But, the team made 8 of its last 10 attempts under one minute left -- from three different players. Trayce Jackson-Davis was 2-of-2. Miller Kopp bounced back after missing a few earlier in the second half to make 2-of-2. Xavier Johnson was 4-of-6, including the final two that sealed the win.
Still need a full 40 minutes: Indiana can't take its foot off the gas... apparently even up 27 points with 8:21 left in the game. IU was outscored 36-14 coming in after that mark and gave up eight 3s over that span as well. It was a total lack of concentration and execution that allowed Minnesota to get back into the game. Yes it's a win, but that is extremely concerning with two extremely important games coming up to end the regular season. Indiana can't go through 3-5 minutes dry spells scoring the ball and expect to win big games down the stretch in the Big Ten.
Bubble game coming up: With IU's win on Sunday, it essentially makes Wednesday's game against Rutgers a play-in game. Both teams are right on the bubble, but a loss would be detrimental to their hopes of making the NCAA Tournament, or at least make them sweat it out on Selection Sunday. The Hoosiers have hit their stride it seems after a five game losing streak while Rutgers has lost three straight games after a four game winning streak -- all over ranked teams. It's a home game for the Hoosiers and this is a moment that Mike Woodson has been waiting for since he took over as head coach.
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