INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana entered Thursday’s Big Ten Tournament matchup against Oregon with hope and a clear opportunity: Win, and an NCAA Tournament bid was all but secured.
But the Hoosiers faltered offensively, falling 72-63 to the Ducks and bowing out in their opening game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
“It's a tough loss,” Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said postgame. “I thought we competed in stretches, but we just couldn't finish it.”
Similar to its game in Eugene, Indiana came up short in the final minutes despite controlling its destiny, a striking similarity to Indiana’s season outlook.
“We were right in it,” fifth-year guard Trey Galloway said. “Multiple times we kept cutting the lead, but you've got to give them credit, they were able to make big time shots.”
Indiana shot just 36.2% from the field, its third-lowest mark of the season.
“We missed a lot of chippies around the rim with Ballo and Malik,” Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said postgame. “I thought that was a big difference.”
In addition to their struggles from the field, the Hoosiers struggled mightily from the free-throw line, shooting 5-of-10 and missing a pair of crucial front ends of a one and one late in the game.
“A two-possession game, we missed two front ends of a one-and-one, that was huge,” Woodson said. “I thought that was the big difference in the game because they made us pay both possessions back down the court offensively where we couldn't get the stop.”
Role players like senior Luke Goode have bolstered Indiana’s success in its last eight games. However, when Indiana needed him on Thursday, the Fort Wayne native was non-existent.
Goode finished with one point on 0-of-5 shooting, missing all four of his attempts from three, a stark contrast from his nearly 46% shooting from deep during the regular season.
He wasn’t the only senior who had a lackluster game at the worst possible time.
Oumar Ballo finished with eight points, all in the first half, and played just minutes in the second half.
Indiana entered both games against Oregon with a chance of solidifying its spot in the field of 68. After squandering both quad-one opportunities on the hardwood, Woodson’s squad must wait until Sunday to learn its fate.
With no opportunities left to prove its worth, Indiana will spend the next 72 hours assuming that it will be playing at some point next week.
“You don’t want to be around like a sitting duck,” Goode said of the mentality of the next three days. “You just gotta keep treating it like you’re already in and just see where we fall.”
Despite the uncertainty, the Indiana locker room remains confident that Indiana should be in the field come Selection Sunday.
“I think we’re one of the best 64 teams in the country,” fifth-year guard Anthony Leal said. “ I believe our name will be called and, you know, I believe at that point, anyone can go out and win it.”
Conscious of his team’s fate being in the selection committee’s hands, Woodson didn’t hold back postgame, making pitch for the group of a dozen people who are spending the weekend a few minutes up the road in Carmel, Indiana.
“This afternoon wasn't an indication of how we've been playing,” Woodson said. “We've been very competitive. Even in the games that we've lost -- I can go back to the Maryland game at home, the UCLA game, the Michigan game at home -- they were all competitive, one or two possession games.
“We beat Purdue, had a shot to beat Purdue at their spot. So we've had a lot of close games that we just weren't able to make the play here or there.”
Though difficult to compare, coaches with teams on the bubble must campaign for their programs much like football coaches do for the College Football Playoff.
By the end of the day, Indiana no longer controls its postseason fate. But it won’t stop Woodson from doing what he does best – standing up for his players.
“I'm going to always campaign for my team. That's how much I love my team,” Woodson said, continuing his stump speech. “I don't think that there's a team in the country that we can't beat if we come ready to play and compete for 40 minutes.”
Goode has thoroughly enjoyed watching conference tournaments well into his college career, but he will be watching more intently in hopes that his college career has at least one game left.
“I’m a big basketball guy so I’m watching games, but it’s something you got to pay attention to now,” Goode said. “Especially with the position we’re in this year, it’s like ‘okay we need this team and this team to lose’ but we just have to stay the course and we’re going to prepare the next two days like we’re in regardless. ”
With uncertainty surrounding the next few days and his coaching days drawing ever so close to an end, Woodson hopes for one more opportunity to coach in the NCAA Tournament – his third in four seasons.
“It's been a good run since I've been here, and I'm just hoping that it's not over with yet.”
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