EAST LANSING, Mich. — After losing five straight and 7-of-8, Indiana's NCAA Tournament hopes were nearing zero.
The Hoosiers were desperate for a win to turn this season around — as with loss after loss, the chances IU would end up playing in mid-March were looking slimmer by the day — but it just couldn't get a win to keep any hope alive.
Indiana had chances to pick up huge wins in its last five games, but fell short each and every time, failing to get a résumé-boosting win after each game fell apart in the final minutes, or even seconds, of these contests,
"We've lost some close games. We just haven't been able to finish. I take a lot of pride in that as a coach because the Purdue game was a game we could have won. Maryland at home, Northwestern on the road" Mike Woodson said, explaining that these last few weeks have been tough, especially with the circumstances brought to light last Friday.
With a trip to the Breslin Center against No. 11 Michigan State on the horizon, the road wouldn't get any easier, and with Indiana going down by 12 not even nine minutes into the game, Indiana's season outlook was getting bleaker by the minute.
After this, though, the Hoosiers turned it around. They immediately went on a 6-0 run to cut the Spartan lead in half, but it didn't stop there.
IU ended the first half on a 12-2 run that flipped the script and gave it a 32-29 lead at the break, giving the Hoosiers a glimmer of hope that it could finally turn their season's momentum in the right direction.
The second half only made this glimmer grow as Indiana's lead mounted —Indiana needing every last possession to win this ballgame — though it seemed Michigan State was always one step behind.
Was this because the Hoosiers were desperate? Or because of an off-night from MSU? Whatever the reason, Indiana got a big-time win when it needed one, possibly reviving its chances at making the NCAA Tournament.
Woodson put it bluntly after the game: "we needed a win, bad."
After everything that occurred in the past week, both on and off the floor, Indiana was in an incredibly interesting position, as with the noise surrounding the program, it had seemed like many forgot that there was still the rest of the season to be played.
"It's tough, man. They know I won't be back. That's been tough on these guys. It's been tough on me. But we've still got a lot of season left" Woodson said.
While IU couldn't get it done in the first game since the announcement against Michigan, the performance against the Spartans proved to be the bounce-back game that the Hoosiers needed, possibly re-affirming Indiana's choice to announce Woodson's departure and give some clarity to the program.
Whatever the reason, IU played loose for the vast majority of the game as, after MSU jumped out to its early lead, Indiana dominated the action there on out.
This was particularly done in the painted area, as Malik Reneau was sensational late in the game. He scored 16 points in the final 20 minutes, doing so on 7-for-11 shooting, willing his team to this much-needed victory.
"Everyone knows what the situation is now so we're just coming together and trying to play as hard as we can every time we step on the court, whether we're home or away. That's what we're trying to do" Reneau said, explaining that his team's situation only pushed them to make a statement in this one, and they certainly did.
It wasn't just Reneau though, as Indiana's 2-3 zone worked to perfection throughout the game, perplexing the Spartans at every turn. While this may have seemed like a desperate move, it might as well have been, as IU should have been desperate, as its NCAA Tournament chances would have only sunken further with heartbreaking defeat.
This wasn't the case, though, as Indiana was resilient even after Michigan State cut Indiana's, at one point, nine-point lead and made it just a two-point advantage.
The Hoosiers could've let the Spartans continue their run after this, just like IU did against Northwestern, Maryland and Purdue, but it didn't fold.
Indiana may have missed a few free throws late, but it made just enough to eek out the three-point win, possibly giving it the confidence it needs moving forward.
The Breslin Center is a tough place to play — one of the toughest in all of college basketball — yet Indiana played one of the best games it has all season.
The Hoosiers are still on the outside looking in as far as the tournament is concerned, but this game was a start, and a great start at that.
"I want these guys to believe. I want them to get in the tournament and experience it. And get in the Big Ten Tournament and see if we can win it. That's what it's all about" Woodson said.
Against all odds, in a tough environment, and with the Spartans knocking at the door, Indiana persevered and won a game that could catapult its season back on track.
Even beyond that, amid the news last week, this could be a game that brings the Hoosiers together during the "emotional" stretch they've gone through.
While this doesn't right the wrongs seen on the court throughout the course of the season, this was the signature win IU was looking for in the NCAA Tournament conversation.
But tournament or not, this will be a pleasant memory for Hoosier fans in a season that hadn't had many at all up to this point.
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