Key takeaways from the Indiana basketball 77-76 win over Ohio State

Indiana basketball bounced back after two-straight 25-point losses with a big 77-76 overtime road victory over Ohio State on Friday night.

After a difficult week around the program, Friday’s win was not only needed, but it was a performance that reminded people of what this team should like more like when it is playing to its potential. While it wasn’t a totally clean game, IU’s toughness showed — something it leaned on just a few weeks ago.

Here are the key takeaways from IU’s win over Ohio State.

Luke Goode puts his money where his mouth is: Luke Goode has been extremely vocal this year on and off of the floor. After back-to-back 25-point losses it was Goode who remained vocal about what Indiana basketball needed to do in order to come out with a win to stop the bleeding. He showed up — and more — on Friday with career-high 23 points including 4-of-7 from three. He had 16 points in the second half and overtime and single-handedly did everything he could midway through the second half to keep Indiana above water. He made 3s, tough end of shot clock buckets and made all the right plays defensively to help Indiana. He has scored in double-figures in four of the last five games and continues to be tremendous for Indiana in nearly every area.

Kanaan Carlyle steps up: It’s no secret that Kanaan Carlyle has really struggled to find his role this year but Friday night was a different story. Carlyle had his first double-digit scoring game since Dec. 9 and had 10 of his 13 points after halftime. His play was huge as Myles Rice played just 15 minutes, dealing with foul trouble all night. Carlyle did what he’s known for — attacking the basket. He was tremendous in pick and roll opportunities, used his athleticism to get through defenders in transition — with multiple and-one chances, and found ways to impact the game on both ends of the floor. Carlyle is at his best playing hard defensively and using his athletic ability and quickness to get to the rim, not settling for jumpers. While he took some long 2s and difficult 3s early in the game, he took over the second half by getting to the rim.

IU’s offense comes alive after halftime: After 26 points and shooting 33.3 percent in the first half, Indiana basketball flipped the script and were nearly unstoppable after halftime. The Hoosiers scored 42 in the second half while shooting 55.6 from the field. After just .935 points per possession, it was raised to 1.400 in the second. Why? The ability to get stops and get out in transition — something IU has struggled to do consistently this season, but when it does is super successful. In total, four players scored more than seven points in the second half alone. When Indiana plays with an attacking mindset and finds a way to speed up the game, the results are very positive.

Oumar Ballo’s high motor: Ballo has not had the easiest of paths over the last few weeks but one thing he has continued to do is play with a high motor and he did so again against the Buckeyes. He had a big size advantage over Ohio State and made them pay — getting to his spots at will and if he didn’t, doing what he could to force his way to the rim or to grab a rebound. The best part about his night? He played 41 minutes, including all 25 minutes in the second half and overtime. He made timely hustle plays all second half, whether it was diving on the floor for a loose ball, grabbing an offensive rebound or defending the paint. He finished with 21 points on 8-of-14 from the field with 15 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. In the last six games he’s averaging 18.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 blocks in 32.5 minutes a game.

A much-needed win: After two disappointing, embarrassing and unfathomable performances, Indiana basketball bounced back in a major way with a Quad 1 road win over Ohio State. Everything — and everyone — was against them and counted this team out, yet the second half performance was much like the Hoosiers of the five-game winning streak, and nothing like that of the last two games. While you can’t erase the last two losses, Friday’s performance gives a bit of hope of what this group can be. When they play hard, together and with toughness, Indiana is a good team — and a team that has potential. But, the inconsistencies are just too much to overlook. Friday night, and the last seven days, could be the one thing that really pulls this team together for the extremely difficult back half of the schedule. Time will tell, however. But for one night, it is a much-needed moment for a team that had showed little effort or pride over the last two games.

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