Indiana had a four-point lead over Maryland with 38 seconds left in regulation, all they had to do was play solid defense and get the ball into their best free-throw shooter's hands. Instead, Indiana did just the opposite, even after having a timeout to talk about it all.
After Maryland cut the lead down to two points, all Indiana had to do was get the ball into the hands of a reliable free-throw shooter, maybe one like Myles Rice, who shot 90% from the line. Instead, they inbounded the ball to Trey Galloway, who shoots 65% from the line and, of course, was the one who was fouled.
Galloway doinked the ball off the front of the rim on a 1-and-1 shot, and Maryland got the rebound. With 18 seconds left, a timeout was called, and head coach Mike Woodson instructed his team to foul because they had one to give and wanted to get the Terrapins to the free throw to only give them the opportunity to tie the game instead of take the lead.
However, either the gym was too loud, or the team just wasn't listening because when the ball was inbounded, no one fouled Maryland, even when they had a couple of opportunities to. Everyone knows the story from there: the Terrapins took the a one-point on a Rodney Rice three-pointer and then the Hoosiers were never able to regain the lead, even off of an inbounds play.
When asked after the game about no fouling on Maryland's final possession, Woodson had few words.
"With the foul to give and not give it, it's unacceptable," Woodson said in his postgame press conference. "You can't go back and get it now."
Indiana could have put the game away before that had they given the ball to the right person to be fouled. This is nothing against Galloway, but why not put it in the hands of a player who is almost automatic from the free-throw line?
It just seems like Woodson can't get control of this team and then just shakes his head or is a man of few words in his postgame press conferences. At some point, Woodson needs to take responsibility for what is happening on the court with his team.