Indiana Basketball: Hoosiers fall to Michigan 74-63
By Alec Lasley
The Indiana Hoosiers fall to the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor to move to 12-3 on the season and 3-1 in Big Ten play.
The Hoosiers failed to get the stops they needed on defense to fight their way back in the game after an early deficit.
Michigan, who led by 15 points the majority of the game, took down the Hoosiers 74-63 on Sunday.
The 11th highest scoring duo in the country, Romeo Langford and Juwan Morgan had two fouls each before the under 16 minute media timeout, putting the Hoosiers in a hole early on.
Langford (17 points and 6 rebounds) and Morgan (25 points and 8 rebounds), the only two players in double-figures for the Hoosiers, showed a great deal of toughness keeping Indiana in the game for most of the second half.
The Wolverines, who shot 50 percent overall, had a combined 28 points from Charles Matthews and Jordan Poole in the first half, both finishing with 18 points for the game.
Two of the better three point shooting teams in the country, percentage wise, combined for just 9-of-30 from deep.
After going 4-for-9 in the first half from three point range, Michigan failed to make another three during the game, due to the Hoosiers committal to force the Wolverines to win the game in the paint.
The Hoosiers came out firing in the second half, cutting the deficit to single digits for the first time since early in the first half, were never able to get closer than nine points as Juwan Morgan picked up his fourth foul with about eight minutes left.
With the absence of Robert Phinisee for the Hoosiers once again, Devonte Green was inserted into the starting lineup, causing the Hoosiers to have no real bench production, with three players combining for just 2 rebounds and 0-for-2 from the field.
Meanwhile, Michigan finished with 10 bench points on the game.
Brandon Johns Jr, a freshman who came into the game averaging 0.7 points and 1.1 rebounds per game, played a season-high 13 minutes, due to the absence of Isaiah Livers, finishing with eight points and eight rebounds.
Only scoring seven points on the season up until tonight, his presence was a welcomed, and needed, sight during the second half in which they struggled to score at times.
Zavier Simpson chipped in 12 points and three assists for the Wolverines, who had four players in double figures.
Whats next?
The Hoosiers look to rebound from their first Big Ten loss when they have another road game, and head to Maryland on Friday to take on the Terrapins, and then come back home on January 14, for their matchup against Nebraska.