Hoosier Illustrated Live Blog: Final – Northwestern 79, Indiana basketball 70

Indiana basketball continues Big Ten Conference play in its 125th season of competition at Northwestern at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Hoosiers are coming off a big overtime win over Ohio State last weekend.

The Wildcats enter the game with a record of 11-7 (2-5 Big Ten) under 12th-year head coach Chris Collins. Northwestern is led by 20.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game from junior forward Nick Martinelli. Senior guard Brooks Barnhizer adds 18.4 points, a team-best 9.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per contest. Graduate senior guard Jalen Leach has averaged 13.7 points per night and has shot 36.1% from behind the arc.

Tipoff is set for 7:00 ET on BTN.

Below is the full live blog.

Key Notes:

Malik Reneau and Bryson Tucker are playing tonight.

Indiana basketball starters:

G – Myles Rice

G – Anthony Leal

F – Mackenzie Mgbako

F – Luke Goode

C – Oumar Ballo

First half:

Northwestern wins the tip. Leach gets called for a travel. Indiana basketball with the ball.

Anthony Leal turns the ball over. Missed three by NW but they get offensive rebound. However, they turn it over. 3 turnovers so far this game.

Northwestern hits a three. 3-0 Wildcats.

Mgbako misses a layup. Luke Goode gets called for his first foul.

Northwestern up 4-0.

Rice passes to Leal then Rice speeds off the ball and Leal finds him for a cut and easy layup.

Mgbako gets called for a travel. 3 turnovers for Indiana basketball.

6 turnovers now. 3 from each team.

Mgbako misses a three but Ballo with the offensive board and scores through contact. He hits the free throw. Hoosiers up 5-4.

Myles Rice tries to fight for the defensive rebound but Martinelli gets and gets fouled on the shot attempt. First foul for Rice and Wildcats back up 6-5.

Ballo misses a floater.

Barnhizer hits a 15fter.

Under-16 Media Timeout: Northwestern 8, Indiana basketball 5

Galloway checks in for Rice.

Mgbako misses a wide open three. Did not even hit rim and may have cracked the backboard. So bad.

Leal causes a turnover and he airballs a three. NW extends the lead to 10-5.

Mgbako gets a tough basket through contact.

Reneau in for Leal.

Galloway turns it over then NW does. Leads to Ballo finding Goode for the corner three. He connects.

Northwestern answers. Berry three.

Ballo finds Galloway for the three. Goode picks up his 2nd foul the next drive.

Northwestern leads 15-13 at the 11:51 mark. 

Carlyle in for Goode. Ty Berry hits a three from the volleyball lines. Sheesh.

Galloway misses a layup. Ballo gets the rebound and is fouled. No shot.

Ballo turns it over and Trey Galloway makes the great hustle play to get the block.

Play stopped for a bit for a clock issue.

Ballo mises a hook shot.

Berry extends the NW lead to 20-13.

Reneau misses a bunny. Ty Berry hits a three and NW is up 10. Mike Woodson takes a timeout. Hoosiers down 10.

Rice back in for Galloway.

Wild sequence for Indiana basketball which ends with Ballo getting a bucket plus the foul. He misses the free throw.

Great defense by Anthony Leal right now.

Ballo gets fouled again. Martinelli picks up his 2nd foul. Ballo goes 2-2 at the line.

Really like the defensive response by Indiana after that Mike Woodson timeout. Both Leal and Ballo getting their hands in the passing lane and not making things easy for Northwestern.

Northwestern leads Indiana basketball 23-17 with 7:36 left in the half.

7:36 left in the half and Northwestern star Nick Martinelli has two fouls and will likely sit until halftime. Indiana has to take advantage of that. Find someone to stick on Ty Berry and get to scoring.

Leal finds Rice for three. Hoosiers down 23-20 now.

Ballo finds Leal on the cut and he gets fouled on the shot. Leal goes 1-2 at the line. Reneau in for Ballo.

Rice picks up his 2nd foul. He got all ball on the steal attempt. Terrible call.

Got another clock situation. Stoppage of play. 5:09 in the half.

Ty Berry picks up his second foul.

Northwestern leads 24-21 with 3:59 left in the first half.

Reneau heads to the line out of the break. He goes 2-2. Ballo back in for him.

Another turnover from Leal. Galloway picked up a foul. Barnhizer goes 0-2.

Missed three by Galloway leads to Leal picking up a foul. Barnhizer goes back to the line. He goes 1-2.

Strong drive by Mgbako and gets the bucket on the baseline.

Tied at 25 now.

Galloway floater and Indiana basketball has the lead back.

14-2 run right now for Indiana. Defense has led to offense for the Hoosiers.

Galloway drive and he gets fouled on the layup attempt.

Galloway goes 2-2. Hoosiers up 29-25.

Northwestern has missed 12-straight shots. Mgbako gets a layup to drop near the buzzer. Hoosiers close the half on a 18-2 run the last 8:41.

At the half: Indiana basketball 31, Northwestern 25

Second half

Indiana turnover to start the half. Martinelli scores.

Missed bucket from Ballo. Barnhizer misses three. Rice scores.

Mgbako hits the three and the camera points to him and he says “Let’s go.” Assist from Ballo.

Ballo gets fouled. He goes 1-2.

Ty Berry hits a three. Mgbako got lost on defense.

Offensive goal tend on Leal. Tried to dunk it but it let go.

Ballo gets called for a goal tend on defense.

Five second call on Indiana basketball.

Martinelli hits a three. Northwestern back up 39-37. 

Ballo gets fouled and we go to break.

Ballo goes 1-2. Northwestern still up 1.

Ballo quickly picks up 2 fouls.

Mgbako misses a three and Goode keeps the play alive and Ballo slams it.

Berry hits another three on Mgbako.

Ballo finds a cutting Goode for a Indiana score.

Another Berry three. Northwestern up 47-42 on Indiana. 

Northwestern has extended the lead to 49-42.

Goode hits a much-needed three.

Steal by Rice and he gets the fast break layup. Northwestern calls timeout. Hoosiers down 2.

Luke Godoe hits a three and Indiana basketball has the lead back.

Galloway finds Ballo. Hoosiers up 3.

Barnhizer stops the 10-0 Indiana basketball run.

Ty Berry hits another three. Northwestern back up.

Offensive foul called on Martinelli. We go to break.

Under-8 Media Timeout: Northwestern 54, Indiana basketball 52

Reneau in for Ballo.

NW up 7 now.

Just like that, Northwestern is up 62-52.

Rice dish off to Galloway but he misses however Ballo cleans it up.

Leach three and NW up 11 now.

Mgbako hits a tough shot.

Northwestern up 12 now.

This is looking to yet again be another blowout loss for Indiana. The final score won’t tell the story of the game however, its the result that matter when you look at the NCAA Tournament Resume. Blowout losses have killed Indiana.

Mgbako hits a three. NW up 70-59.

Mgbako gets a steal and Mgbako scores throw contact. He hits the free throw. Hoosiers down 8.

Barnhizer hits a bucket to put NW back up 10.

Goode hits a corner three to cut the lead down to 7.

Barnhizer misses the front end of the 1 and 1.

Mgbako hits a three and Hoosiers are down 4.

Leach goes 2-2 at the line and NW back up 6.

Ballo misses the dunk attempt.

Barnhizer fouled. He goes 2-2. NW back up 8.

Rice fouled. He goes 2-2. Hoosiers down 6. Carlyle checks in for Rice.

Barnhizer fouled. He goes 1-2 at the line. NW up 7.

Final – Northwestern 79, Indiana basketball 70

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