MINNEAPOLIS — The Hoosier surge continues.
Strong shooting. Shutdown defense. Sustained intensity. Winning basketball.
Indiana displayed all of it Wednesday night in its 70-58 victory at Minnesota, its third-straight win and fourth on the Big Ten road this season (only Purdue and Illinois have more). It was also its eighth-straight victory over the Gophers.
“We’re just now starting to connect as a team,” center Kel’el Ware told the Big Ten Network in a post-game interview. “I feel like we’re going to make a run in the Big Ten Tournament.”
Despite foul trouble and turnover issues, IU took charge behind stifling defense, inside dominance, second-half sharpshooting and fast-break opportunities. It took away Minnesota’s inside game, forcing the Gophers (18-12, 9-10) into a perimeter approach that didn’t work — 5-for-26 3-point shooting.
“We were really good defensively from the beginning to the end,” coach Mike Woodson told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during the post-game radio show. “That was the difference.”
The Hoosiers (17-13 overall, 9-10 in the Big Ten) again found road success on the perimeter. They were 5-for-7 from 3-point range in the second half, and shot 64.0% in the final 20 minutes. They had 28 assists on 30 made baskets. Forty-eight of their points came in the paint.
“(The 28 assists) means we were playing unselfish and sharing the basketball,” Woodson told Fischer. “Guys were getting the ball in good position; the ball was moving around. Our defense had a lot to do with that.”
IU sustained the offensive firepower it displayed during its 50-point, 73-percent-shooting second half at Maryland three days earlier.
“It makes it nice when the ball is moving and guys are in position to knock shots down,” Woodson told Fischer.
Ware again dominated with 26 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, and three assists despite foul trouble. Forward Mackenzie Mgbako overcame his own foul trouble to score 15 points with three 3-pointers.
Guard Trey Galloway bounced back from early turnovers to total 11 assists and 13 points.
“We had to monitor Ware and Malik (Reneau) because they got into early foul trouble,” Woodson told Fischer. “We had to have one in and one out. When we were able to get them both in, they closed it and brought it home for us.”
As for Mgbako, Woodson told Fischer that, “Mack made some big shots coming down the stretch to give us the cushion we needed to secure the victory.”
IU also got solid bench play from forward Anthony Walker (six points, one rebound, one assist) and guard Anthony Leal (four assists, three rebounds, two steals).
“The guys who came in off the bench gave us a lift,” Woodson told Fischer.
Despite the strong effort, the Hoosiers weren’t flawless.
“The only flaws I saw were the 14 turnovers,” Woodson told Fischer. “We can get better in that area, but for the most part, we were really good.”
Walker was injured in the second half. Woodson isn’t sure what his status will be moving forward.
“We’ll see where we are,” he told Fischer. “He was playing well. We’ll need somebody else to step up if he’s hurt. That’s the nature of this game.”
IU opened by attacking inside for baskets from Ware, Reneau, Galloway, and Ware again for an 8-0 lead before Minnesota got a four-point play from Cam Christie to start a surge for a 13-12 lead after six minutes, 15-12 two minutes later.
Enter guard Xavier Johnson. Out Reneau (foul trouble). Enter turnovers (four by each team).
Hoosier turnovers continued — four by Galloway, three by Johnson as the Gophers pushed ahead 23-18. Johnson came out. Leal replaced him.
The turnovers stopped and IU dominance emerged.
It regained the lead on an 10-0 run, highlighted by Ware’s strong play despite playing with two fouls and a defense that shut out Minnesota for more than four minutes.
The Hoosiers reached halftime with a 30-25 lead, with 26 points coming in the paint, 12 by Ware.
Five minutes into the second half, Ware and Reneau each had three fouls. Still, the Hoosiers capitalized on Gopher turnovers to build a 41-30 lead.
Consecutive Mgbako 3-pointers pushed the Hoosiers ahead 47-32 with 11:39 left.
Minnesota never recovered.
IU will end the regular season on Sunday by hosting Michigan State (18-12, 10-9), which is coming off a victory over Northwestern.
“Michigan State is well coached,” Woodson told Fischer. “They’ve got a wonderful team. We have to commit for 40 minutes and see what happens.”