‘We just didn’t regroup’: IU basketball unravels in final minutes of Oregon loss

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EUGENE, Ore. — If Indiana basketball ends up on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble, the final two minutes of a 73-64 loss to Oregon will loom large in the Hoosiers’ minds.

Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad hit a 3-pointer from nearly 30-feet away from the basket to beat the shot clock with 1:30 to go in the game. The Hoosiers turned it over on their ensuing possession and missed their final three shot attempts while the Ducks closed out the win by going 7 of 8 from the free-throw line.

“The kid hits a big bucket, and then we just didn’t regroup from that point on,” Indiana coach Mike Woodson said. “And you gotta give them credit because their defense picked up when it needed to. They got a big steal out of our possession, and we threw it away. That was the difference in the game I thought coming down the stretch.”

More: ‘It can’t be that lopsided’: Mike Woodson blasts officiating in IU basketball’s loss at Oregon

This wasn’t the first time IU’s shaky execution in the final minutes has proved costly. The Hoosiers gave up a lead in the final seconds of a 79-78 loss to Maryland and had a series of similar breakdowns in the final minute of a 81-76 loss to Purdue at Mackey Arena.

Woodson was particularly frustrated with the way Indiana didn’t close out on Shelstad’s go-ahead 3-pointer.

“We didn’t defend it well,” Woodson said. “We didn’t, because Bittle caught the ball up top, Anthony (Leal) was sucked in, and all he had to do was stay out. We did not defend it well. I mean, make Bittle be the guy that beats you. Jackson has shown he can make shots and beat you, and he did. It was a big shot when we were up one.”

The ball ended up in Bittle’s hands at the top of the key after Oregon worked the ball around the floor unable to get an open look. Leal drifted toward the 7-foot center at the perimeter instead of face-guarding Shelstad and that gave him enough space to put up the shot.

Indiana failed to score after that and closed out the game going 2 for 12.

One of those…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/just-didn-t-regroup-iu-090405520.html

Author : The Herald-Times

Publish date : 2025-03-05 09:04:00

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