Indiana basketball struggles offensively late Saturday for the second straight game but hangs on to beat Chattanooga 74-65.
Mackenzie Mgbako scores 14 points, Malik Reneau adds 14 with 8 rebounds and 3 steals and Oumar Ballo has 9 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists for the Hoosiers (9-3). IU makes 5-of-20 3-pointers and 11-of-20 free throws.
IU goes without a field goal between the 12:37 and 2:50 marks in the second half, similar to its late collapse against Nebraska a week prior.
Honor Huff leads the Mocs (8-5) with 20 points, and Trey Bonham and Bash Wieland add 11 each. Chattanooga makes 10-of-28 3s.
The Hoosiers host Winthrop on Dec. 29 before resuming Big Ten play.
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2:40 left 2H: IU goes 6+ minutes without scoring and Chattanooga misses some good looks that could make the score closer. Trey Galloway’s free throw at the 4:23 mark breaks the IU drought.
Indiana 67, Chattanooga 61
7:53 left 2H: Malik Reneau picks up his 4th foul. He has 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a blocked shot.
Indiana 64, Chattanooga 56
11:23 left 2H: IU’s frontcourt players are establishing themselves: Mackenzie Mgbako with 12 points, Malik Reneau 12, Oumar Ballo 9, Bryson Tucker 6. Honor Huff has 14 points, including 4 3-pointers, for the Mocs.
Indiana 61, Chattanooga 51
16:46 left 2H: Mackenzie Mgbako is 3-of-4 on 3-pointers, the rest of IU 2-of-12. The Hoosiers have decided to up their 3-point attack. Timeout, Mocs.
Indiana 51, Chattanooga 42
Mackenzie Mgbako has 9 points, Kanaan Carlyle has 8, and all 9 players who have seen the court have scored. They are 3-of-11 on 3-pointers and have just 3 turnovers.
Trey Bonham has 9 points and Honor Huff 8 for the Mocs, who are 6-of-13 on 3-pointers and have 11 assists on 14 baskets.
3:22 left 1H: Kanaan Carlyle hits a jumper to give IU a 29-28 lead, its first since the early moments. The Hoosiers have largely ignored Oumar Ballo, who had an and-1 at the 18:18 mark and has just 2 free throws since.
Chattanooga 35, Indiana 33
7:22 left 1H: Bryson Tucker takes advantage of a favorable matchup on consecutive possessions for baskets. IU is 2-of-9 on 3-pointers, the Mocs 5-of-11.
Chattanooga 28, Indiana 25
11:45 left 1H: The Mocs are getting open for 3-pointers and are 4-of-8. Trey Bonham has 9 points. Mackenzie Mgbako has 5 points for IU.
Chattanooga 21, Indiana 16
15:01 left 1H: Trey Bonham forces 2 fouls on Trey Galloway on the opening 2 minutes, scoring 6 points along the way. The Mocs are 2-of-5 on 3-pointers.
Chattanooga 13, Indiana 12
Zach Osterman, IndyStar: Indiana 81-73
Indiana needs a bounce back in a big way from Nebraska, but these next two games aren’t gimmes. Chattanooga and Winthrop each have some recent NCAA tournament pedigree and both are well-regarded by the metrics. The Mocs are particularly good offensively for a mid-major team. They can drive and kick, and they’re not terrible around the rim. IU should win, but with the odd tip time the morning after a big football game, this might not be a comfortable afternoon.
Noon ET Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.
- TV: BTN
- Radio: 105.1 FM in Bloomington, 93.1 FM in Indianapolis
- Streaming: SiriusXM channels 391 and 981, and Varsity Network
ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Indiana a 94.2% chance of winning.
Remember IU’s run to the CFP with IndyStar’s commemorative book
- Trey Bonham (13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds)
- Honor Huff (12.5 points, 3.3 assists)
- Garrison Kesslar (5.8 points, 3.8 rebounds)
- Frank Champion (7.3 points)
- Bash Wieland (11.6 points, 3.3 rebounds)
Dec. 9: Indiana 82, Minnesota 67
Dec. 13: Nebraska 85, Indiana 68
Sat., Dec. 21: vs. Chattanooga, noon, BTN
Related Post
Sun., Dec. 29: vs. Winthrop, 4 p.m., BTN
Thur., Jan. 2: vs. Rutgers, 8:30 p.m., Peacock
