What to Expect: Indiana vs. Penn State
Indiana will look for a season sweep when it hosts Penn State tonight at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Penn State is 15-13 overall and 5-12 in Big Ten play.
Tonight’s game will tip at 8:30 p.m. ET on BTN:
Indiana’s NCAA tournament hopes are alive following Sunday’s win against Purdue. But the Hoosiers have work to do over their final four regular season games.
Up first is a rematch against Penn State, which has won two in a row after a seven-game losing streak. Indiana won the first matchup 77-71 on Jan. 5 at the Palestra in Philadelphia.
Indiana’s early second-half run was crucial in its win against the Nittany Lions last month. At halftime, Indiana and Penn State were tied at 29, but the Hoosiers went on a 12-0 run out of the locker room.
Sophomore Mackenzie Mgbako was pivotal in that stretch as he scored eight points in just over a minute, forcing Mike Rhoades to use a timeout. But the break failed to flip the momentum as the Hoosiers needed less than three minutes to push the lead to double figures and take control at one of the nation’s most historic venues.
Fifth-year senior Oumar Ballo was also pivotal in the win, as the Nittany Lions had no answer for him in the post. Ballo finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots despite battling foul trouble.
Indiana also handled Penn State’s pressure defense, which ranks third in the conference in forcing turnovers. Entering the game in early January, the Nittany Lions had been forcing 17 turnovers per game. Indiana committed only 14 in the win.
The win at the Palestra also featured one of IU’s better perimeter shooting performances this season. After an underwhelming 2-for-11 mark in the first half, the Hoosiers shot 7-for-12 in the second half to finish 9-for-23 for the game. Mgbako made four 3-pointers and Luke Goode went 3-for-5.
Penn State, meanwhile, was dreadful from the perimeter. The Nittany Lions went 3-for-21 on 3s, a major reason Penn State managed just 1.01 points per possession despite shooting 61.9 percent on 2s.
Guard Ace Baldwin struggled in the Penn State loss, finishing with 12 points on 5-for-15 shooting. Baldwin dished out seven assists but committed three turnovers as foul issues limited his minutes to 31. Over his last three games, Baldwin has 23 assists and 14 steals.
(All stats in the chart above are from conference games only and are updated through Monday.)
The keys for success against Penn State are clear: take care of the ball and keep the Nittany Lions off the foul line.
Penn State ranks third in the conference in defensive turnover percentage (18.5) and first in free throw rate (FTA/FGA) at 39.2 percent. The Nittany Lions found success at the Palestra attacking Indiana off the dribble, particularly in the second half.
The Nittany Lions are one of the Big Ten’s worst rebounding teams, ranking 16th in the conference in offensive rebounding percentage and 15th in defensive rebounding percentage. They also struggle to defend in the paint, as conference foes shoot 55.1 percent on 2s, which ranks 15th in the conference.
KenPom projects a five-point Indiana victory with a 70 percent chance of the Hoosiers winning. Bart Torvik’s ratings favor IU by six with a 71 percent chance of a victory.
This game is important for both teams for different reasons. Once 12-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten, Penn State is currently on the outside looking in for the Big Ten tournament. With the new 15-team format this season, three teams stay home, and right now, the Nittany Lions would be one of those teams.
Indiana likely needs to go 3-1 over its final four games to have a realistic shot to make the NCAA tournament field. The Hoosiers are unbeaten in Quad 2, 3 and 4 games and tonight’s game is a Quad 2 contest.
While the 2024-25 season has been disappointing, Indiana can still end the Mike Woodson era on a high note by reaching the NCAA tournament. The Hoosiers have been playing better lately but must come out with the same energy and focus displayed in the second half of Sunday’s win against Purdue.
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
Category: Commentary
Filed to: Penn State Nittany Lions
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Myles Rice scores 11 of his 13 in the second half and Indiana beats Penn State 83-78
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Indiana Hoosiers: Game Highlights
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — — Oumar Ballo had 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, Myles Rice scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half and Indiana beat Penn State 83-78 on Wednesday night.
Trey Galloway made a 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions and Anthony Leal capped the 8-0 run with two free throws to give Indiana a 75-69 lead with 4:51 left.
Rice had a nice two-possession sequence to push the lead to 80-73. He sank a 3-pointer from the corner off a nice pass from Galloway and Ace Baldwin Jr. slipped under the basket at the other end. Galloway grabbed the loose ball and quickly passed it ahead to Rice, who was trailing the play for a fast-break layup.
Ballo grabbed a key offensive rebound with a minute left and Rice was fouled with 56.5 left before making 1 of 2 free throws to make it 81-76.
Ahead 81-78, Rice missed two free throws with 31.7 left to give Penn State another chance. But Zach Hicks missed a potential tying 3-pointer and Indiana secured the defensive rebound. Luke Goode secured it at the line.
The Hoosiers were just 15 of 25 at the free-throw line but went 10 of 15 from 3-point range.
Galloway had 16 points and four 3-pointers, Mackenzie Mgbako also scored 13 and Goode added 10 for Indiana (17-11, 8-9 Big Ten).
Baldwin finished with 22 points, five rebounds, five assists and six steals for Penn State (15-14, 5-13). Yanic Konan Niederhauser added 16 points.
Penn State returns home to play No. 16 Maryland on Saturday before concluding the regular season at No. 11 Wisconsin on March 8.
Indiana has three games remaining, starting with a Saturday contest at Washington.
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Penn State Nittany Lions
Indiana Hoosiers
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Indiana Hoosiers: Game Highlights
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Game Information
2024-25 Big Ten Conference Standings
Men’s College Basketball News
| 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSU | 39 | 39 | 78 |
| IU | 37 | 46 | 83 |
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 14-3 | – | 23-5 |
| Michigan | 13-3 | 0.5 | 21-6 |
| Wisconsin | 12-5 | 2 | 22-6 |
| Maryland | 11-6 | 3 | 21-7 |
| UCLA | 11-6 | 3 | 20-8 |
| Purdue | 11-6 | 3 | 19-9 |
| Illinois | 10-8 | 4.5 | 18-11 |
| Oregon | 9-8 | 5 | 20-8 |
| Indiana | 8-9 | 6 | 17-11 |
| Ohio State | 8-10 | 6.5 | 16-13 |
| Nebraska | 7-10 | 7 | 17-11 |
| Rutgers | 7-10 | 7 | 14-14 |
| Northwestern | 6-11 | 8 | 15-13 |
| Iowa | 6-11 | 8 | 15-13 |
| Minnesota | 6-11 | 8 | 14-14 |
| USC | 6-11 | 8 | 14-14 |
| Penn State | 5-13 | 9.5 | 15-14 |
| Washington | 4-13 | 10 | 13-15 |
Oumar Ballo powers Indiana to victory over Penn State
Oumar Ballo scored 20 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for Indiana, which finished strong for an 83-78 win over Penn State on Wednesday in Bloomington, Ind.
Trey Galloway added 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting, including 4-for-5 success from 3-point range, for Indiana (17-11, 8-9 Big Ten). Mackenzie Mgbako and Myles Rice finished with 13 points apiece as the Hoosiers earned their third win in four games.
Ace Baldwin Jr. scored 22 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished five assists and tallied six steals to lead Penn State (15-14, 5-13). Yanic Konan Niederhauser finished with 16 points and seven rebounds as the Nittany Lions’ two-game winning streak ended.
The Hoosiers shot 56.9 percent (29 of 51) from the field and 66.7 percent (10 of 15) from beyond the arc. Penn State hit 52.9 percent (27 of 51) overall and 38.9 percent (7 of 18) from long distance.
The score was 67-67 with 6:31 to play after Ballo made a layup for Indiana.
Nick Kern Jr. sank a layup on the next possession to put Penn State on top.
Indiana responded with an 8-0 run to grab a 75-69 advantage with 4:51 remaining. Galloway knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers, and Anthony Leal made a pair of free throws during the surge.
The Nittany Lions pulled within 81-78 after Baldwin made two free throws with 41 seconds to play.
Indiana held firm on defense, and Luke Goode made a pair of free throws with 11 seconds remaining to help secure the victory.
Penn State led 39-37 at the half.
The Nittany Lions jumped to a 7-1 lead in the first two minutes. Freddie Dilione V drained a 3-pointer to finish the early scoring binge.
Indiana responded with an 11-3 run to grab a 12-10 lead. Galloway made a jump shot and followed that up with a dunk to finish the run.
The margin remained within single digits through the half. Ballo made two layups in the final minute for Indiana, and Kern made a layup for Penn State.
–Field Level Media
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