SYRACUSE, NY – In what was Indiana’s first road game of the 2021-22 they traveled to Syracuse, NY to face off against the Syracuse Orange in the Big Ten / ACC Challenge. It was the first matchup between the two teams since the 2013 season when the Orange defeated the Hoosiers by 17 points.

This time? The Hoosiers and the Orange put on a Big Ten/ACC double overtime classic that ultimately saw the Hoosiers fall 112-110.

Indiana and head coach Mike Woodson ran out the same starting five that they have for every other game this year thus far against Syracuse. Xavier Johnson, Parker Stewart, Miller Kopp, Race Thompson, and Trayce Jackson-Davis got things going for the Hoosiers in the Big Ten/ACC challenge.

Things started off slow for the Hoosiers on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Jimmy and Buddy Boeheim combined to score the first 13 points for Syracuse as the Orange jumped out to an early 13-5 lead.

Jackson-Davis got things going early and was able to score eight points in the first nine minutes of the game. The preseason All-American was held scoreless the rest of the first half.

With 6:58 remaining in the first half, the Hoosiers were outscored by the Boeheim brothers 21-18. Jimmy Boeheim finished the first half with 11 points while Buddy Boeheim had 14. The brothers combined to shoot 55 percent from three (5-of-9).  Over that stretch the Orange led 29-18.

All season long head coach Mike Woodson has preached for the Cream and Crimson to hold their turnovers to less than 12 per game. In the first half they had 13. Most of which were self-inflicting and uncharacteristic from some players.

If there was any positive when looking at the first half it had to be Indiana’s performance at the charity stripe. For a team that struggles to shoot 60 percent from the line, the Hoosiers ended the first half at 91 percent (10-of-11).

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At halftime the Hoosiers trailed 49-33. Miller Kopp led at the break with 10 points while TJD was right behind him with eight.

The second half opened with a Buddy Boeheim layup to give the Orange their largest lead of the night, up 18.

Then the Hoosiers caught fire.

Parker Stewart was doing all that he could to bring the Cream and Crimson back in the game. Stewart hti three three-point shots to bring the Hoosiers to within seven points with 16:09 remaining in the game. Indiana opened the second half on a 12-3 run.

With 10:04 remaining in the game the Hoosiers took their first lead off a Miller Kopp three. Kopp finished the game with a career-high 28 points on 4-of-9 from long distance.

Even with a comeback, Indiana could not stop turning the ball over and that was what ended up being their downfall. IU finished the game with 25 turnovers, a season high. With just over four minutes remaining, what was once a one-point lead had turned in to a nine point deficit.