Quick thoughts on the 91-79 loss at Wisconsin:
How it happened
Other than an early 8-3 lead, there were few positives in Indiana's first half Friday night at the Kohl Center. The Hoosiers were outscored by Wisconsin with six points from the free throw line and nine points from beyond the 3-point line. Indiana continued to throw long 2-pointers and went 1-for-7 on those attempts. The Hoosiers took more long 2s (7) than 3s (5) in the first 20 minutes. The result was an inefficient half of offensive basketball from the Hoosiers, who had just one assist and scored just 26 points on 0.87 points per possession. Meanwhile, Wisconsin shot an excellent 52.2 percent from the field and scored 1.31 points per drive to go into the locker room with a comfortable 13-point lead.
The Badgers extended the lead to 16 on consecutive 3-pointers from Max Klesmit early in the second half, forcing Mike Woodson to call a timeout. But the Hoosiers responded with a quick 9-0 run to make the Wisconsin score 49-42, forcing Greg Gard to call a timeout with 14:58 to play. Klesmit hit another 3-pointer after the timeout, extending the Badger lead back to double digits with 14:33 left. Klesmit sank another three-pointer on the next possession and was fouled to make it 56-42 for Wisconsin. The Badgers extended the lead to 17 on another basket by Klesmit with 13:07 to play, and then CJ Gunn was sent off for a flagrant two-foul on Klesmit. By the U12 media timeout, Indiana trailed 67-44 while Wisconsin's run reached 18-2. The Hoosiers were never able to challenge the rest of the game, falling to 12-7 overall and 4-4 in Big Ten play.
Outstanding artists
Malik Reneau led the Hoosiers with 28 points after shooting 12 for 21 from the field in 40 minutes. Reneau's minutes were a season high as he had to carry a heavier load with Kel'el Ware sidelined. Mackenzie Mgbako added 17 points in 32 minutes.
Statistics that stand out
Indiana allowed Wisconsin to shoot an impressive 59.6 percent from the field and gave up 1.4 points per possession. The Badgers also scored 25-29 from the free throw line.
Final IU individual stats
Final pace-free statistics
Call for a meeting after the game
(Image credit: IU Athletics)
Submitted to: Wisconsin Badgers