Hoosiers Fail to Close, Fall to Iowa

Indiana was seemingly in control of this one.

The Hoosiers came out with a similar mindset that was on display versus Purdue, relying on a strong defense to carry them on the road.

And it was working.

Indiana did not trail at any point in the second half of this game, and unlike their play during their losing streak, Indiana had an answer for every run Iowa had in them. Yet, there was that feeling in the back of everyone’s mind, how are we going to let this one slip away?

And slip away it did.

Crunch time hasn’t been kind to the Hoosiers in recent weeks, and in this match-up, it was a familiar face that doomed them. Jordan Bohannon was able to knock down two huge three-point baskets for the Hawkeyes; when Iowa needed a play, Bohannon was there to deliver, much like he was in the first match-up between these two teams.

Bohannon would go on to record five of Iowa’s seven made three-point field goals, and Indiana didn’t have anyone that could match Bohannon in the clutch. Romeo Langford had a chance to secure the win for IU, but his three-point attempt wouldn’t go and Indiana went on to lose in overtime in devastating fashion.

The Hoosiers continued to put up abysmal shooting numbers in this one, shooting just 12-of-22 from the free-throw line and 6-of-27 from behind the arc. For as much improvement as this team has shown defensively over the past couple games, its offense continues to fall short.

Now it’s back to the drawing board again for Archie Miller and company, and he’ll be forced to try to find a way to get his team to close in the clutch. The Hoosiers have now lost 12 of their last 13 games on the season, and the road from here on out doesn’t get much easier with Wisconsin and Michigan State coming to town.

Make no mistake about it, this team is playing better. But when you’ve lost 12 of 13 games, is seeing improvement enough? Is the failure to convert close games into victories acceptable? One must wonder when the bleeding will stop, or rather, if the bleeding will stop. Indiana is continually coughing up opportunities to win games, and with just four games remaining in the regular season, the Hoosiers are running out of time.