Indiana basketball triggers warnings from variety of struggles, team defeats Miami Ohio 76-57

Following a relieving 97-71 home win against Sam Houston on Tuesday, Indiana basketball continued its home stand, facing off against Miami Ohio on Friday night.

What was expected to be a comforting game for Indiana didn’t quite play out like one. 

Indiana’s offensive ability to consistently put up points was limited. In addition, Indiana’s defense was a struggle for a majority of the game, showing frequent signs of weak perimeter defense skills.

Indiana started off the game working hard on both ends of the floor, reaching a double digit point lead within the first six minutes of the game.

The early efforts were erased quickly, as Indiana’s bench failed to run the offense efficiently, allowing Miami Ohio to quickly cruise back into the game.

Indiana basketball head coach Mike Woodson expressed frustration after the win, citing the mistakes his team made in the first half.

“We did get off to a great start. We went to the bench, then they were able to get back in it. We couldn’t find it. We had I think four turnovers coming down the stretch of that first half that gave them the opportunity to get back into the game.”

Indiana’s bench was held to just nine points in the win, all scored by Luke Goode.

Indiana’s bench consisted of Luke Goode, Langdon Hatton, Anthony Leal, Jakai Newton and Bryson Tucker, who all combined to play 59 minutes of the game.

The group shot just two-for-nine from the field and one-for-five from beyond the arc, forcing the starters to be relied on heavily on the offensive end. 

The scoring difficulties weren’t Indiana’s only offensive issue. Indiana’s offense caused 16 turnovers, handing Miami Ohio plenty of free opportunities.

Having a high amount of turnovers has been a trend for Indiana’s offense, averaging 15.6 turnovers per game thus far.

Woodson gave insight on what specifically was causing the large number of turnovers for Indiana’s offense tonight.

“Right before the half, I’m thinking time scoring situation. Our players are still thinking home run plays. I mean, we were just taking chances on passes that just weren’t there and doing things with the ball off the dribble that just wasn’t there.”

Indiana’s offense possessed a turnover rate of 23.5%, allowing Miami Ohio to score 20 points off of turnovers.

Defensively, Indiana struggled heavily throughout the evening with perimeter defense and defensive rotations. 

Woodson reflected on an example of the difficulties he noticed Indiana had on its defensive end.

“Even though they (Miami Ohio) went six minutes without scoring the ball, they still had good looks. The looks came on our inability to not switch correctly. You know what I mean? We screwed up so many switches tonight I thought.”

Improvements on the quickness of the defense will come with practice, but will need to be caught up on for Big Ten conference play. Woodson fully acknowledged this, highlighting this as an area of focus.

“Those are things that I just got to get us right. When you switch, that means you got a body on a body. Nobody’s breaking free for easy shots. We got to clean that up. That’s something that we got to continue to work on and practice to get better.”

The idea of being ready to compete in upcoming competitive games was not just voiced by Woodson, but was also expressed by Trey Galloway following the game.

“It’s here now. The Big Ten is real. Anybody can win on any given night. You got to be prepared and practice with urgency and with a purpose. I think that’s our biggest focus, is getting back to work tomorrow and getting ready for Minnesota because that’s our first game.”

Galloway was one of Indiana’s few bright spots in the victory, scoring 13 points on five-for-eight shooting from the field and three-for-four shooting from three point area. Galloway also added two rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal. The senior guard finished the game with a +/- of +27.

With Indiana opening up Big Ten conference play on Monday at home against Minnesota, the team will look to use the weekend to practice and improve in their areas of weakness.

Tipoff on Monday is scheduled for 6:30 PM ET from Assembly Hall, in Bloomington, Indiana. 

SEE ALSO: Key takeaways from the Indiana basketball 97-71 win over Sam Houston State

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated, part of the Full Ride Network, on Twitter @Indiana_FRN, Facebook and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. You can also listen to the Talking’ Bout the Hoosiers podcast on Spotify.

Looking for a place to get more Indiana content? Hoosier Illustrated has partnered with Tom Brady’s company ‘Autograph’ to streamline our coverage, so you can continue to do what you do best – follow IU sports. Use the CODE: Indianafr to get started today. For more info, you can start here.