Rapid Reaction: Arkansas Rallies Late to Beat Indiana
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. β Indiana went nearly eight minutes without making a field goal at the end of the game Sunday night, blowing a double-digit lead in a 71-64 loss to Arkansas at Simon Skojdt Assembly Hall.
It was a disappointing way to end its nonconference schedule. The Hoosiers are now 11-2 heading into Big Ten play next Saturday at Maryland.
This trend of blowing double-digit second-half leads isn't a good one. The same thing happened last Saturday against Notre Dame, where Indiana let a 17-point lead slip away before winning on a last-second shot.
Arkansas made 12 3-pointers in the game and their two star guards, Isaiah Joe and Mason Jones, were killers. Joe finished with 24 points and Jones 21, and combined they made 10 3-pointers.
Arkansas is now 11-1 on the season. The Razorbacks beat Indiana last year too during the regular season, but lost to the Hoosiers in the second round of the NIT Tournament in March.
The game was chippy from the start, but it got out of hand at the 7:24 mark. Arkansas forward Adrio Bailey bumped Indiana junior guard Al Durham while the Razorbacks were bringing the ball upcourt, and the Hoosiers' captain responded with an elbow to his head.
No foul was called on the floor, but Arkansas coach Eric Musselman complained about it and during the under-eight timeout, the play was reviewed. Durham was charged with a Flagrant-2 foul foul and ejected from the game, leaving Indiana with just three guards to play the rest of the way.
Arkansas' small lineup was in trouble with Indiana freshman Trayce Jackson-Davis right from the start. He had his way inside, making 6 of 8 field goals in the first half and scoring 16 points. It could have been more, but he was only 4-for-9 shooting from the free throw line.
Dunk king, @TrayceJackson. ππ@IndianaMBB x #Hoosiers pic.twitter.com/WWlQoCqCZl
β Indiana On BTN (@IndianaOnBTN) December 30, 2019
In the second half, Devonte Green had the hot hand early, scoring eight quick points to help Indiana push the lead to double digits at the 14:40 mark. Indiana made 9 of its first 16 shots in the second half, but then made only 1 of 11 in the final 10 minutes.
The crossover, the stepback 3, both were π―. @ChefBoyArGreen | @IndianaMBB pic.twitter.com/Bwe3LAOQtq
β Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) December 30, 2019
Mason Jones, Arkansas' leading scorer, was saddled with foul trouble most of the night. He got so frustrated that he picked up a technical foul for yelling at an official. But after getting bench briefly, Jones hit a 3 at the 2:45 mark to put Arkansas ahead 64-62. The next trip down, he hit another one from 26 feet to make it 67-62.
Franklin forced a foul and got to the line with 1:20 to go, but missed the front end of the one-and-one. Indiana made a stop but then Green took a quick 3-pointer and missed.
Indiana was awful from the free throw line again, making just 9 of 18 freebies. They weren't good from the 3-point line either, making just 5 of 20 shots.
Jackson-Davis finished with 20 points, and didn't get many good looks in the second half, getting fronted often. Green had 14 and no one else was in double figures.
A December to remember, good and bad
Indiana played six games against quality competition in December, and finished the month with a 4-2 record. Here's how the Hoosiers did this month, with the team's current kenpom.com ranking in parentheses:
- Dec. 3 β Indiana defeated Florida State (19) in Bloomington, 80-64
- Dec. 7 β Wisconsin (36) defeated Indiana in Madison, 84-64
- Dec. 10 β Indiana defeated Connecticut (54) in New York, 57-54
- Dec. 13 β Indiana defeated Nebraska (xxx) in Bloomington, 96-90
- Dec. 21 β Indiana defeated Notre Dame (65) in Indianapolis, 62-60
- Dec. 29 β Arkansas (41) defeated Indiana in Bloomington, 71-64