#3 Excel H Sports Ranked Gonzaga Chew up Indiana

#3 Excel H Sports Ranked Gonzaga Chew up Indiana

By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports

    The #12 Excel H Sports Ranked Indiana Hoosiers dropped their second game at the Battle 4 Atlantis losing 89-73 to #3 Excel H Sports Ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs on Thursday Afternoon at the Imperial Arena in Nassau The Bahamas. The Hoosiers are 4-2 on play for 7th place tomorrow at 11 AM on ESPN2.  Oumar Ballo scored 25 points against one of his former teams to lead the Hoosiers. Ballo started his career at Gonzaga averaging 2.5 points 1.5 rebounds and 6.3 minutes per game in the 2020-21 season before playing the next three season at Arizona and now playing his final season in Bloomington. Ballo went 11-13 from the field, 3-5 from the free throw line, pulled down 4 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, 3 steals and 1 block in 33 minutes of action.

Mackenize Mgbako added 13 points going 4-10 on the field, 2-5 from three-point range and 3-4 from the field. The Sophomore pulled down 4 rebounds and had an assist. The Hoosiers went 27-59 from the field for 45%, 4-18 from three-point range for 22% and 15-22 from the field for 68%. The Hoosiers pulled down 27 rebounds, dished out 17 assists, 8 steals, 4 blocks and committed 12 turnovers. The Hoosiers played with more intensity but scoreless drought of 5 minutes that fueled a Gonzaga run and being dominated on the glass doomed the Hoosiers.

Gonzaga is 6-1 on the season and coming off an 86-78 overtime loss to West Virginia Wednesday Afternoon. Ryan Nembhard scored 11 points and dished out 13 assists as Gonzaga had six players in double figures led by Kahlif Battle with 16 points. The Bulldogs went 31-64 from the field for 48%, 6-20 from the three-point line for 20% and 21-22 from the free throw line for 95%. The Bulldogs pulled down 42 rebounds, dished out 20 assists, 9 steals, 2 blocks and committed 13 turnovers.

The Bulldogs led 33-31 with under eight minutes to go in the first half when five players scored in a 16-0 run in less than 4 1/2 minutes and the Hoosiers never got closer than 15 points the rest of the way. Indiana was within two when Ballo scored inside at the 8:11 mark of the first half, giving him 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting against his first college team. His next basket came at 2:58 and cut Gonzaga’s lead to 49-33. The Hoosiers missed eight shots with three turnovers between baskets. Gonzaga led 57-39 at half with a 17-3 advantage in second-chance points.  Ballo was 11-of-13 shooting, his teammates were 16 of 46.  Gonzaga had six players in double figures before Indiana got its second with 1:20 left in the game. Indiana outscored Gonzaga 34-32 in the second half.

With two losses by double digits in two days Mike Woodson cannot hide behind the that he has seven new players and “We’re still trying to work things out.” Starting guards Myles Rice and Kannan Carlyle combined for 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 1 steal and a turnover. Malik Reneau scored 6 points and pulled down 5 rebounds. Former Indiana Men’s Basketball Coach Tom Crean who works as a studio analyst for ESPN said during the broadcast “I don’t think their conditioning is great.”  Mike Woodson has not done well in big games away from home getting blown out time after time and he felt good before heading to The Bahamas about his defense and now everyone is left scratching their heads after the last two games and poor defensive effort.  “I thought we were on point from a defensive standpoint heading out here to The Bahamas. I thought our defense was where we wanted it to be. These last two games, our perimeter play has gotten exposed, and I’ve got to fix that” Woodson said after the game.  Mike Woodson feels that Indiana is going to get there but for fanbase that has high expectations time is running out.  “That’s no knock against the teams we have played, but we’ve got to get to where we’re competing against the Gonzagas and the Louisville’s, and we will get there. We’ve just got to keep working at it.”  Indiana will have two home games next week against Sam Houston State and Miami (Ohio) and if they don’t win tomorrow’s game and leave the Island’s with 0-3 record it will not be a pleasant homecoming for the Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers.

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