Hoosiers win 5th straight
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
BLOOMINGTON — Two and a half weeks ago, things looked awfully bleak for the Indiana Hoosiers. Injuries were piling up, and they had fallen to 1-4 in conference play after getting bounced by Penn State. Any thoughts of winning the Big Ten and being a lock for the NCAA Tournament appeared to be lost. Since then? It’s been a completely different team. And for the first time since the 2015-2016 season, the Hoosiers have won five straight conference games.
Two nights after the IU Women’s team took care of Ohio State at Assembly Hall, the Men’s team did the same. The Hoosiers used a huge run to end the 1st half and led 46-30 at the break. Freshman sensation Jalen Hood-Schifino had 17 of Indiana’s first 21 points, and finished the first half with 20. In the end, JHS scored a game-high 24 points, and the Hoosiers defeated the Buckeyes, 86-70.
“Here’s a freshman that’s played very well for our ball club this season,” said Head Coach Mike Woodson. “He got off to a hot start and we needed every bit of it because Ohio State got off to a hot start. Even when he’s not scoring like in previous games, he does a lot to help us win.”
“He’s ready to go at any moment,” teammate Malik Reneau said. “He prepares mentally and physically, days before a game. And he wants to win.”
Trayce Jackson-Davis continued his recent dominance with another double-double. He had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the victory, and has put up video game numbers since the calendar flipped. In eight January games, TJD is averaging 23.6 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game. When you put up 18 and 10 and it feels like a quiet night, you know you’re on some kind of streak.
“Looking at the stat sheet, and Trayce had 18 and 10,” Woodson said. “He missed a lot of chippies or he could’ve had 30. But that’s still a man’s game right there.”
During this five-game winning streak, Indiana has held opponents to 61.2 points per game on just over 39% shooting from the field. They now sit at 15-6, and 6-4 in conference play- inching them closer to the top in the Big Ten standings. They also continue building their NCAA Tournament resume as they approach the top 20 in both KenPom and NET rankings. We’ll see if it’s enough to get them back into the AP Top-25 on Monday.
Next up? A huge week for the Hoosiers. They play at Maryland on Tuesday night, before hosting Purdue next Saturday.
