In a game that they absolutely had to have, the Indiana Hoosiers fell to the Northwestern Wildcats by a score of 74-61 on Wednesday night in the Big Ten Tournament. The 15th-seeded Wildcats dominated the 2nd half, and their well-rounded effort sends the 10th-seeded Hoosiers back to Bloomington with yet another missed opportunity.
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Oddsmakers had plenty of faith in the Hoosiers, as IU was listed as a 6-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. However, Indiana couldn't buy a bucket in the 2nd half and suffered a gut-wrenching loss that crumbles their NCAA Tournament hopes.
Final. pic.twitter.com/eiNhdJxBeh
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) March 12, 2026
Indiana's NCAA Tournament hopes are on life support following loss to Northwestern
On Wednesday morning, ESPN's Joe Lunardi had Indiana listed among the "Last Four In" category in his latest bracketology projection. Darian DeVries' squad needed to put forth a solid showing in the Big Ten Tournament in order to boost their tournament resume as much as possible, but with a one-and-done performance in Chicago, Indiana's NCAA Tournament hopes are on life support.
Indiana had just two field goals halfway through the 2nd half, and turned the ball over 11 times which turned into 12 points for Northwestern. The Hoosiers also struggled from the free throw line, going 15-for-22 (68%) from the charity stripe.
Northwestern junior forward Arterrin Page wasn't available for the Wildcats, but the Hoosiers weren't able to take advantage. Page is Northwestern's second-leading scorer averaging 10.2 points per game, and his 6'11" frame makes him a great rip protector. However, Indiana was out-scored 34-24 in the paint. Furthermore, the Hoosiers had no answers for freshman Jake West who stepped up to score 18 points for the Wildcats while Nick Martinelli led the way once again with 28.
Indiana has now lost six of its last seven games and has suffered a pair of losses to Northwestern in that span. Furthermore, Northwestern has now won seven straight meetings against IU.
With no more opportunities to boost their resume, the Hoosiers now have to sit back and hope other bubble teams underperform in their respective conference tournaments before Selection Sunday.