Analysis: The better TEAM won 85-78 Thursday night

I really believed that Indiana would beat Iowa Thursday night.

I said so last Saturday night after IU had looked awful in a 68-63 loss against Penn State.

But this was the kind of game that you just knew that Indiana would be playing at a different level. A top 5 ranked opponent, a nationally televised game on ESPN with Purdue Person Vitale in the house, and a packed and raucous Assembly Hall willing the Hoosiers to a win.

The result: Indiana 85, No. 4 Iowa 78.

Now I’m not sure what I thought the script would end up being but that’s where I was most impressed with Indiana Thursday night. It wasn’t just so much that the Hoosiers won the game but it was how they won the game.

This was a total team victory.

Ten Indiana players saw the floor and all 10 scored.

Juwan Morgan made one bucket but it was a crucial offensive rebound put back with 3:08 to play that put IU on topo 77-68.

Harrison Niego made one basket but it was a huge 17-foot baseline jumper with 9:20 to play that cut the Iowa lead to 60-58 at the time.

O.G. Anunoby made one shot but it was a first half layup that put IU up by 12.

Nick Zeisloft gave the Hoosiers a lift from deep, hitting a trio of 3-pointers.

Max Bielfeldt was good around the basket, and with Thomas Bryant in a game-long foul trouble, was needed to the tune of 25 minutes against Iowa. Bielfeldt responded with 10 points.

Add it all up, and the IU bench scored 28 points and pulled down nine rebounds. That was 28 more points than Iowa scored off the bench. Iowa’s starters accounted for all 78 of its points.

This wasn’t a vintage Yogi Ferrell performance. Ferrell was 2 for 12 from the field and 2 for 9 from beyond the arc. At one point, he missed nine consecutive shots.

Bryant was limited to 14 minutes because of foul trouble. Robert Johnson scored 13 points in the first 25 minutes but then didn’t score again.

Collin Hartman played really hard on both ends of the floor and finished with seven points in 28 minutes.

Troy Williams had enough good Troy moments to negate some Bad Troy moments. He finished with 13 points and seven rebounds.

But what stands out about this performance is simply that Indiana won this one as a team. On this night, the better TEAM truly did win.

I have no idea how this team will fare Sunday at Michigan State. I’m guessing it will be a very difficult game to win. But what the Hoosiers showed me Thursday night is that this is a team that is going to contend for a Big Ten title right until the very end.

And I thought that was the most encouraging part of a big win over a top 5 opponent.