With just over 16 minutes left in this afternoon’s game, Indiana looked primed to earn its first win over a ranked opponent in the Darian DeVries era. The Hoosiers had a double digit lead over No. 10 Nebraska,
looking like the best versions of themselves on both ends of the floor.
The turning point felt like a sequence around the 14 minute mark in the second half, following a mid-range make from Tucker DeVries. He caught an unlucky blocking call on the ensuing defensive possession, which led to a 3-pointer that cut Indiana’s lead to 10.
Then on the offensive end, DeVries got called for an offensive foul – his fourth – that appeared to be a mirror of the same play he had just been whistled for on the defensive end. DeVries was forced to the bench, and Indiana missed him on both ends of the floor.
With DeVries on the bench, Indiana missed its next four field goal attempts and turned the ball over once, opening the door to a Nebraska comeback. Fred Hoiberg’s team, undefeated on the season, took advantage of those empty offensive possessions from Indiana to tie the game at 55 with 11:35 left in the game.
The Hoosiers responded poorly to the game reset over the final ten minutes. A Lamar Wilkerson 3-pointer, followed by made free throws, allowed Indiana to reestablish a six point lead which was promptly erased by a pair of threes from Nebraska.
Wilkerson’s 32 points were a bright spot in an otherwise ugly game for Indiana, but not enough for Indiana to get its first signature win of the season. When he first eclipsed 30 points, the Hoosiers only had 65 points as a team and the second leading scorer, DeVries, was on the bench with foul trouble.
DeVries was able to check back in for the final minutes, but it was mostly too little, too late. He had a chance to bring the game within one possession with under ten seconds to play, but missed an open 3-pointer on what was Indiana’s final chance to claw back into the game.
Today’s collapse is part of an alarming trend of second-half chokes for this Indiana team, which squandered winnable games against Kentucky and Minnesota. The schedule only gets harder from here too, with Indiana’s next three opponents currently in the AP Top-25.
If Darian DeVries can’t figure out how to win these big games, be it holding on to a big lead or fighting for a comeback, this could be an ugly stretch for Indiana.
