Guards Lead Hoosiers to Convincing Win Over Minnesota, Stay Perfect At Home

With Trayce Jackson-Davis blanketed inside, it was up to Indiana's guards to hit shots on Sunday against Minnesota, and Xavier Johnson and Rob Phinisee did just that. They led the team in scoring in the 73-60 win, the Hoosiers' 11th straight at home under first-year coach Mike Woodson.

Tom Brew | Jan 9, 2022

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Minnesota's game plan was simple and obvious. There was no way the Gophers were going to let Indiana All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis beat them on Sunday. The double teams came in waves, and they were relentless.

Others were going to have to step up for the Hoosiers.

And others did.

Guards Xavier Johnson and Rob Phinisee kept getting wide open looks out of those double teams, as Gopher defenders scrambled all over the floor. They combined to make six first-half three pointers and led the Hoosiers in scoring, with Johnson going for 14 and Phinisee 13 in IU's 73-60 win at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

"I felt coming off the bench, I saw how they were guarding X, and teams usually guard us the same a little bit,'' Phinisee said. "When I came in, I really just was shot ready, and I knocked down the shots.

"Coach Woodson, he tells us to shoot the ball if you're wide open. I knocked down those shots in the first half, and I feel like they weren't sagging off as much in the second half, so I didn't really get as many looks. Coach really just builds our confidence, tells us to shoot it whenever we're open, so I made shots this game.''

Indiana is now 12-3 overall in Mike Woodson's first season as head coach, equalling the Hoosiers' win total from a year ago. If you need reminding, it's Jan. 9. The Hoosiers still have 16 regular season games to go in the next two months. Things are so much better.

Jackson-Davis, who had 27 points in Thursday's win over No. 13 Ohio State, didn't get his first points until the 10:36 mark in the first half, and he scored only four in the entire period despite playing 15 minutes. (He finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds.)

He was patient with the double teams, and so were his teammates. Phinisee hit four threes in the half, and Johnson added two more. Indiana guards scored 31 of their 39 first-half points, and the Hoosiers took a 39-29 lead to the locker room.

The lead grew to 12, but then the Gophers made an 18-5 run to actually take the lead at 49-48 with 11:09 to go.

The lead was shortlived.

A Huge hustle play by Jordan Geronimo helped Indiana pull ahead. After a missed Trey Galloway three-pointer, Geronimo tipped the ball back out to Miller Kopp, and he drained a three to put Indiana back ahead 51-49.

Minnesota decided to go small, and the Hoosiers made them pay as they went on a run. With smaller guys on Race Thompson, a Minnesota native, and Jackson-Davis, the Hoosiers powered the ball inside and they both finished in the paint. They scored six of Indiana's next eight points, and when Johnson drove an open lane for a layup, the Hoosiers were back up by nine at 63-54 with 5:24 to go.

"They went small, so if they are going to play us small, we're going to spoon-feed the ball inside,'' Woodson said. "Let's just get it inside. He can make plays. I'm good with that.

"I call it winning basketball. You've got to step up and make plays. Our defense really picked up after that. We were solid those last 3-4 minutes.''

That was it, basically, because Indiana's defense locked it up from there. Minnesota scored only six points in the final 9:02. The same thing happened Thursday night in the win over Ohio State, when the Buckeyes scored only six points in the final 10 minutes.

The Hoosiers are winning with defense, plain and simple.

"At the beginning when we started this journey and after I've done my homework from last year in the Big Ten and just in college basketball in general, I told them 'hey guys, if you hold teams 60 and under, you're going to give yourself a chance to win a lot of games.'

"They believed that. It's shown in our play since we've started the journey, and we've just got to continue to grow and get better in that area.''

Woodson has talked often about instilling confidence in his players, especially guys like Phinisee, who has been through a lot of rough times during his career at Indiana. He didn't hesitate on Sunday though, knocking down one big shot after another.

Woodson, who's now 11-0 at home, was pleased with his point guards' performance, Phinisee especially, a senior who's been through a lot. He handles everything like a mature player.

"When I look at Rob, he never once complained that X was starting and going to be the starter when I brought him here from Pitt to start,'' Woodson said. "That was never an issue with him, and for me, being his coach, that means a lot, because it means you're buying into winning. You're all about team. Everybody can't start. I've always said, it ain't who starts, it's who finishes the game. He was on the floor at the end of the game, making a big contribution to us winning the game tonight, and you can't ask for more. He's about team.''

Johnson is, too. He's been struggling a bit the past few weeks. He was just 4-for-17 from deep in his last eight games, and he's been averaging only 7.6 points during that stretch. He's even been hearing a smattering of boos from some Indiana fans.

"I've been playing bad and I know it, but it's something that I've got to push through because I'm working every day,'' Johnson said. "I work on my craft every day, and my team believes in me, and I'm going to continue to work for them.

"It means a lot (that Woodson supports him). When I first came in, he told me he had my back, and that's been the case, that he's really had to have my back. That's the only person that I need to believe in me because he's my coach, and he's the only person that matters. ''

Indiana had five guys in double figures. Parker Stewart had 12 on 4-of-5 shooting, and Thompson had 10 points and five rebounds. The Hoosiers had only six turnovers the entire game, and only three combined from the five starters.

The Hoosiers, perfect at home, have yet to win a game on the road, losing at Syracuse, Wisconsin and Penn State by a combined 10 points. Now the Hoosiers hit the road though, playing at Iowa on Thursday and then at Nebraska on Monday, Jan. 17.

Closing out games the way they did this week should be a big learning experience. Woodson knows what's next — taking this quality play on the road and getting over the hump.

Finally.

"Yes, we've got to break the ice on the road,'' Woodson said. "I think once we break through, it'll open up a lot of these guys' hearts to know that we're here to play and compete in the Big Ten.

"Winning at home is. great, but you've got to win on the road, too. You can't lose at home, but you've got to figure out how to win on the road.''

That next test comes Thursday.

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