Anthony Leal's Career Night Leads Indiana to Thrilling Win Over Iowa

Seldom-used senior guard Anthony Leal scored a career-high 13 points and Indiana overcame a slew of injuries to beat Iowa 74-68 on Tuesday night at Assembly Hall. They scored the final eight points of the game to pull out the win.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana was running out of players Tuesday night against Iowa, but they didn't run out of heart. And thanks to one big play after another in the final 90 seconds, the Hoosiers came back to win 74-68 over the Hawkeyes thanks to a slew of unlikely heroes.

And the most unlikely? That would be senior guard and Bloomington native Anthony Leal, who had a career-high 13 points, with three huge three-pointers — all very timely — seven rebounds, plenty of defensive stops and a pair of game-clinching free throws.

It was a game to remember for a local kid who always dreamed of nights like this in an Indiana uniform. And more than a hundred games into his college career, he had that one night that he'll never forget. 

"I gave him the game ball after the game. He was huge,'' Indiana coach Mike Woodson said of Leal, who had only scored 14 points all season prior to Tuesday and now has just 94 points in his career. "Where I come from in the NBA, you call that a true pro. 

"Anthony is the ultimate teammate in terms of just hanging in there. He's come to practice every day and has done what's been asked of him. He's never complained, not once. He's earned the right to play, and that's why I'm playing him.'

And play he did. 

Leal hardly saw any action in the first two months of the season, but he's gotten more playing time lately as the Hoosiers have struggled to get effective minutes from their guards. He played in three games — Kennesaw State, Nebraska and Illinois on Saturday — where he got 12 minutes or more of playing time, but he only took one shot in all three games.

He made them all, but there wasn't enough volume. There was on Tuesday, where he made 4-of-6 from the field and was 3-for-4 from deep. They were all big, too.

He made back-to-back threes a minute apart, and the second one gave the Hoosiers a 30-15 lead with 8:05 to go in the first half. Both makes were greeted with loud roars from the Indiana faithful. It was a great start for the Hoosiers, who did it all without Malik Reneau, who was injured in the first three minutes and never returned.

The Hoosiers, who are now 13-8 overall and 5-5 in the Big Ten, led 39-28 at the break, but the Hawkeyes came out and immediately made a run. By the 10:37 mark, the game was tied at 49-49. Leal scored on a layup to give Indiana a 53-51 lead, and then he hit another three to put Indiana up 59-58 with 6:58 to go. 

Neither team led by more than four points the rest of the way, and Iowa took a 68-66 lead with 1:42 to go on a tough jumper from the corner by Payton Sandfort, who had a great night for the Hawkeyes, scoring 26 points. 

They wouldn't score again, and the Hoosiers took the lead for good thanks to another unlikely hero — freshman Gabe Cupps. He hit a huge three from the left side to make it 69-68, and it was his only shot of the night in 11 minutes of playing time.

Despite the inactivity, he never hesitated in firing away. And his teammate — guard Trey Galloway — never hesitated in hitting him with a pass.

"I think a lot of it is just trusting in myself and trusting in my teammates. I think one of the most important things that Coach Woodson said to me during that series of events, it's in the past, you've got to leave it behind. Even though he was pretty mad at me, he told me to move to the next play.

"I think just me being here (at Indiana) is a blessing, like Anthony said. So I'm here to work, here to get better. And I think that allows me to trust myself and also for my teammates to trust me. If Gallo doesn't trust me, he probably doesn't swing that pass back. I'm just really thankful for the opportunity and thankful for these guys.''

Indiana closed it out with tight defense and some timely breaks on the offensive end. After Cupps' basket, Galloway had a steal and was fouled. making one free throw. Another great defensive possession forced a tough three-pointer from Sandfort that was short and then Kel'el Ware, who was back after missing two games with an ankle injury, grabbed a tipped ball and dunked to make it 72-69. The Hoosiers got another stop and Leal was fouled. He knocked down two free throws with 12 seconds left to end it.

It was a night for the ages for Leal, something he's waited for since he arrived on campus four years ago, just right up the road from his house a little south of Assembly Hall. The 2020 Indiana Mr. Basketball thought there would be plenty of nights like this, but it hasn't happened. He only scored two points a year ago, but despite the lack of playing time, he still shows up at practice every day and works hard.

So this one, yes, it's a keeper in the memory bank. 

"I think obviously coming out of high school everybody has the expectations,'' Leal said. "I went through a coaching change and tried to stick it out because I love this university and this school. So just being committed to that and understanding, like I said earlier, that this is a dream come true whether I'm playing one minute or 40 minutes. Just to be able to put on this jersey is kind of my mindset I have, and just the love for IU.''

Ware, too, was something of an unlikely hero because he arrived in Bloomington with a tag that he didn't work hard, or play hard. But he showed a lot on Tuesday night, gritting his way through a lot of pain. He scored 23 points, had 10 rebounds and blocked three shots, grimacing through every one of them. The best stat? He played 35 minutes, which was a must with Reneau out. 

His fortitude was greatly appreciated by his teammates.

"I mean, I liked it a lot. That's the thing we need from him,'' Cupps said. "He's obviously super talented, super skilled. And a lot of people's knock on him is that he's not tough. I think he shows it in spurts, but once he can be consistent in that — and he showed that tonight — he's an unstoppable player.''

Leal concurred. 

"The last couple of games, whenever he was out, it really took a toll on him, mentally, emotionally. Obviously physically he was out,'' Leal said. "But he loves us as teammates and he wants to win more than anything. So it was good to see him show some emotion and fight through some nicks and bruises and whatnot. But especially with Malik going down, he stepped up big time for us.''

Indiana is back in action on Saturday when it takes on Penn State at Assembly Hall. The game starts at Noon ET. 

Related stories on Indiana-Iowa

• INDIANA DEFENSE SHINES: After allowing 87 and 91 points in losses to Purdue and Wisconsin, respectively, an eight-day break helped Indiana polish up its defensive miscues and hold Illinois and Iowa to 70 and 68 points, respectively, in the last two games. If Indiana is going to make a late push, defense is the path. CLICK HERE
• PHOTO GALLERY: The Indiana Hoosiers hosted the Iowa Hawkeyes in Big Ten play on Tuesday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall winning 74-68. It was an epic night for senior Anthony Leal, who had a career-high 13 points. Here are the best pictures from the game. CLICK HERE
• LIVE BLOG: Welcome to our live blog for Tuesday's game Indiana and Iowa, where we'll share live updates, highlights and thoughts straight from press row at Assembly Hall. CLICK HERE  
• WATCH LEAL'S 3-POINTERS: Anthony Leal made the most of his opportunity in the first half of Tuesday night's game between Indiana and Iowa. The senior hit a pair of 3-pointers to help the Hoosiers build a double-digit lead on the Hawkeyes. CLICK HERE
• WATCH MGBAKO'S IN-BOUNDS PLAY: Mackenzie Mgbako caught an Iowa defender off guard on Tuesday night, resulting in an easy bucket for Indiana. The freshman threw the ball off the back of Owen Freeman and was able to score a layup. CLICK HERE