(Photo Credit: IndianaHQ)
ANN ARBOR, MI — The #21 Hoosiers were unable to chip away at deficit created early on in a contest this afternoon against #2 Michigan, and as a result they lost for just the third time this season. After a number of slow starts, Indiana finally failed to recover from the initial hole.
Indiana fell behind 9-23 to John Beilein’s team by the 13:07 minute mark of the first half. Although the Hoosiers kept up despite foul trouble, that lead by the Wolverines proved to be insurmountable. Indiana lost 64-73 and moves to 12-3 on the season. Michigan remains undefeated with 15 straight wins this season.
Justin Smith dropped jaws with an athletic tip back to start the game, but he remained fairly quiet for the remainder of the game outside of the rebounding department. He had a typical Justin Smith stat line of 6 points and 9 rebounds. Indiana fans have been quick to criticize Justin Smith for not playing up to his potential, but Justin Smith is contributing in almost every other area. His 0 turnovers show the discipline and maturity that he brings to a team that needs that desperately.
Senior co-captain Zach McRoberts played more minutes than in recent history and he had not quite shook off the cob webs. He had two early turnovers for the Hoosiers that led to fast break points for Michigan. Zach played well defensively and kept up with his assignments but he continued to be a non-factor offensively. He took no shots in his 12 plus minutes in the first half.
Not many people believed that the Hoosiers would come out victorious for this game. Noteworthy was Indiana’s ability to continue fighting all the way to the final whistle. Even with moments of frustration, Indiana quickly rebounded and focused their attention back to the game. Take this game as a learning opportunity and focus on the next series of games. Get Rob, Jake, and De’Ron back. No reason for Indiana to hang their heads on this one.
Box Score
(Source: Indiana Athletics)
Next Up
Including today’s match up, Indiana has a total of 6 games on the road out of the next 8. Indiana will return back to Bloomington for a four day hiatus before heading back on the road to face Maryland in the Xfinity Center. The game against Mark Turgeon and the Terrapins will start at 7:00 pm EST and you can catch the action on FS1.
