(INDIANA RELEASE)
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Cream and Crimson momentum was lost Sunday afternoon.
So was a game.
Indiana's chance to surge back into the Big Ten race hit a Rutgers wall. The 74-70 defeat sent the Hoosiers (9-7 overall, 4-5 in the Big Ten) into a nine-day break with much to consider.
"We're disappointed for each other," guard Armaan Franklin said. "We put in all the work. We work so hard. Everybody is upset. We'll take this and move forward."
Finding consistent defense once again topped the get-better list.
Not even 10-for-16 3-point shooting was enough. Not with Rutgers (8-6, 4-6) shooting 51 percent from the field and making 12-of-17 free throws, plus eight three-pointers.
"There were not many secrets," coach Archie Miller said. "We just had a hard time guarding the ball.
"It wasn't effort. We had some breakdowns in terms of communication. Rutgers is a driving team. They have some terrific one-on-one players. Attack-and-drive guys.
"We were bad in execution in the (defensive) system."
Offensively, the Hoosiers are finding their long-distance range. They are 18-for-33 from beyond the arc in their last two games.
"We did go 10-for-16 from three, even though everybody says we can't shoot," Miller said.
Added Franklin: "We got some good looks. We made our runs. They came back with some big plays. We have to pick it up in the next one."
The Hoosiers struggled to score in the paint, finishing with just 24 points there. Guard Trayce Jackson-Davis was just 4-for-10 from the field.
"We could have made more layups," Miller said. "We didn't finish very well. Trayce didn't have his best offensive performance around the rim, and our guards didn't finish."
IU was seemingly invigorated by Thursday's impressive road win over No. 4 Iowa, but it didn't show on Sunday.
"We play a good team every night," Franklin said. "Some games go your way, some don't. They made enough plays to put themselves in position to win."
A second-half rally was blunted by nine turnovers.
"The game changed with the five turnovers we had in the first four or five minutes of the second half," Miller said. "That was the big difference. We turned it over too much and had a hard time guarding them."
Franklin led IU with 14 points. Jackson-Davis had 13 points and seven rebounds.
Freshman guard Khristian Lander played 11 minutes, one less than he had in his previous four games combined. His six points on two three-pointers equaled his combined point total from the previous nine games.
Rutgers was led by guard Geo Baker's 19 points.
A Rutgers team that had opened 6-0, had beaten Illinois and risen to No. 12 in the national rankings before losing five straight had finally gotten healthy.
It showed early.
Consider IU hit its first four three-pointers, two by Jerome Hunter coming off the bench. It had only three fouls and three turnovers in the first half, but trailed by five.
"Every game you have to play hard and tough and smart, but you also have to play well," Miller said. "Rutgers is a good team. They are a big-time team."
Indiana opened with guards Aljami Durham and Rob Phinisee hitting consecutive 3-pointers. It got a pair of Phinisee free throws, then went cold. Rutgers capitalized with a 10-0 run to surge ahead 15-8.
Hunter stopped that with a pair of 3-pointers. A Race Thompson basket put the Hoosiers ahead 16-15 before the Scarlet Knights scored seven straight points. They were shooting 64 percent from the field to IU's 38 percent.
A Miller timeout helped fix that -- including forcing a 5-second violation as Rutgers tried in-bounding the ball under its own basket.
A Franklin basket, moments after taking a shot that caused him to grab at his recently injured ankle, produced a 24-24 tie. A Thompson basket capped a 9-0 run and put IU ahead by two.
The Scarlet Knights ended with a 14-7 run for a 38-33 halftime lead. Hunter led with nine points.
Rutgers surged ahead 55-41 before a Lander 3-pointer, followed by a Thompson 3-point play, ignited the Hoosiers with 11 minutes remaining.
Put-back dunks from Jackson-Davis and Jordan Geronimo followed. Then came Lander's second three-pointer.
Rutgers' lead was cut to 60-56.
Triples from Durham and Franklin kept the Hoosiers close.
IU trailed 73-70 with 43 seconds left. But a Rutgers' offensive rebound, and a Baker free throw clinched it for the Scarlet Knights.
Despite the second-straight home loss, Miller saw much to be optimistic about.
"The guys have to believe how much room we have to grow. You can see it. We're getting more contributions. We just need more consistency."
As Franklin said, "We have to be better."
The Hoosiers were next set to play at Michigan on Jan. 30, but that game was postponed because of a Covid-19 outbreak in the Wolverines athletic program (not the basketball team).
IU's next scheduled game is Feb. 2 against Illinois, although it's possible the Big Ten could adjust.
"Our league is getting hit (by the virus)," Miller said. "Our players have been going strong for a long time. If there are layoffs, they can be beneficial
"But all options are on the table. Maybe there is something they can do. Our guys would love to play rather than have nine days off.
"There will be adjustments like this all the way through."
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