BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Ohio State’s best chance to win this game was the scoreboard potentially crashing down on the Assembly Hall court.
Indiana’s hot stretch continued on Saturday, as IU (15-6, 6-4 B1G), handily defeated the slumping Ohio State Buckeyes (11-10, 3-7 B1G). IU won its fifth game in a row, rebounding from their three-game losing streak at the beginning of the month.
Jalen Hood-Schifino had 14 of the first 18 points for IU including a pull-up jumper and four swished threes (with no misses). The freshman also stepped up early on defense with a nice perimeter block. Hood-Schifino only had eight combined points in the previous two games.
The Hoosiers struggled to hold the Buckeyes back on defense and tallied seven team fouls in the first half. Sean McNeil turned two points into three multiple times with the old-school “three-point play.” Though the score was close, the Hoosiers could not generate much offense, survived only by Hood-Schifino’s perimeter accuracy.
The Hoosiers mixed their lineup against the Buckeyes and had three freshmen on the floor together. Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau weren’t surprises; however, Kaleb Banks saw first-half minutes for the first time since December. Banks made an immediate impact on the Assembly Hall floor. He quickly registered an offensive rebound and an assist in his first two minutes of action.
With 7:50 to go in the first half, Banks scored a second-chance layup and drew a foul, bringing a huge ovation from the Assembly Hall crowd. The basket ended a 4+ minute stretch where IU trailed OSU.