With leading scorer Malik Reneau sidelined with a knee injury, the Indiana Hoosiers (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten) turned to senior center Oumar Ballo for leadership against the Penn State Nittany Lions (12-3, 2-2 Big Ten), and the big man delivered. Indiana’s 7-footer led the team in scoring and rebounds with 25 points and 13 boards. It was his second double-double in as many games as he led the Hoosiers to a 77-71 victory. Sophomore Mackenzie Mgbako notched in another 20 points on 7/13 from the field and 4/8 from beyond the arc for the Hoosiers, his third time hitting the 20-point mark this season.
Penn State nearly completed an impressive comeback late in the second half, cutting a 16-point Hoosier lead down to 2 after a Zach Hicks three-pointer with 1:43 to play, but the Nittany Lions missed six consecutive threes to close the game and Indiana was able to ice the win with four free throws in the final minute of play.
Here are three key takeaways from the Hoosiers’ win over the Nittany Lions:
As Oumar Ballo Leads, the Indiana Hoosiers Follow
For the second time in as many games, the Indiana Hoosiers’ fortunes were decided by the play of senior center Oumar Ballo. Ballo, in his first season with the Hoosiers after three years with the Arizona Wildcats, posted a double-double against the Nittany Lions only three days after doing the same against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The center’s role with the Hoosiers has expanded following the knee injury of leading scorer Malik Reneau. With the 6’9” Reneau off the court, Ballo is given more space to operate in the post and bully the opposition with his 7’0”, 265-pound frame.
Sunday also marked the sixth time this season that Ballo recorded 2 or more blocks in a game. Indiana is 6-0 in games where Ballo records at least 2 blocks.
Late-Game Defense Continues To Be A Struggle For The Hoosiers
While they managed to come away with another win, the Hoosiers once again found themselves on thin ice at the end of the game. Leading 61-45 with 10:20 to play, Penn State was able to rattle off four consecutive layups, cutting the lead in half in only two minutes. The Nittany Lions trimmed the lead to as little as two points before Indiana managed to right the ship.
Speaking to the media following the win against the Nittany Lions, head coach Mike Woodson gave an honest assessment of his team’s effort in the second half:
“Well, sure, I want more fire. I mean, come on. Yes, I want more fire to my guys. They didn’t fight tonight in the second half, and that’s kind of disappointing.”
This was not the first time this season that Indiana failed to put the final nails in their opponents’ coffins. After leading 69-60 with only 3:48 to play in a December 29 fight against the Winthrop Eagles, the Hoosiers’ defense gave up 8 points in only 32 seconds, putting undue pressure on the Hoosiers in a game they should have been able to put away.
Ace Baldwin Makes The Penn State Nittany Lions Good, They Need More To Be Great
Senior guard Ace Baldwin, a preseason All-Big Ten selection, has been the engine that makes the Penn State offense run so far this season. Averaging 15.0 points and 8.6 assists per game, Baldwin has scored or assisted on 40.1% of all Nittany Lion field goal attempts this season. To put it bluntly, when Baldwin plays well, Penn State plays well. When Baldwin isn’t playing his best, however, things get dicey.
In Penn State’s three losses, Baldwin has averaged 13.3 points per game on 32.6% shooting from the field. In the Nittany Lions’ twelve wins, 15.2 points per game on 42.1% shooting. Penn State will need bigger contributions from its supporting cast if they want to make a run at an at-large bid in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Bonus Takeaway: The Hoosiers May Be Missing Reneau For A While
Forward Malik Reneau missed Sunday’s game with a knee injury suffered in the opening moments of Indiana’s game against Rutgers on January 2, and while the team stepped up in his absence, questions linger about whether they can keep it up. Coach Mike Woodson spot about Reneau’s injury after the game:
“Don’t know when he’s gonna be back. It’s kind of in the medical [staff’s] hand. I mean, didn’t tear up anything, but don’t know when he’s gonna come back. I really don’t, and I just gotta follow the doctor’s lead and he’s gotta do what he needs to do to get back when he can. But it won’t be any time soon.”
Reneau leads Indiana in scoring with 14.1 points per game on 60.3% shooting from the field. Sunday marked
Big Ten Slate Ahead
The Indiana Hoosiers matchup against Big Ten debutantes USC (9-5, 1-2 Big Ten) on January 8. The Penn State Nittany Lions hit the road for a matchup with #22 Illinois (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten) on January 8 as well.
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