Hoosiers Escape the Bruins in a Double-Overtime Classic 

By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports

   The Indiana Hoosiers beat the UCLA Bruins 98-97 in a double overtime thriller at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles, California Saturday Afternoon. The series is now tied 7-7 and 1-1 as Big Ten Conference opponents after UCLA Beat Indiana at Simon Skojdt Assembly Hall a season ago.

   The Hoosiers are 3-1 all time at UCLA and this was the first ever meeting between the two teams in Pauley Pavillion and first time playing the Bruins in Los Angeles since 1960. This is first time since March 28,1992 when the Hoosiers beat the Bruins 106-72 at the Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the NCAA Tournament Elite 8 to send the Hoosiers to the Final Four.

  Trent Sisley was fouled with 0.2 seconds left in the second overtime by Donovan Dent with the game tied 97-97. The Freshman from Santa Claus, Indiana step up and knocked down the first free throw and missed the second free throw as UCLA’s Eric Dailey Jr threw a full court heave and it was short. Sisley scored all three of his points at the free throw line. Nick Dorn, Lamar Wilkerson and Reed Bailey combined for 64 points as Indiana had a different three head monster come up big in the Hoosiers are 3-4 in true road games and all three wins against Big Ten opponents.

  Dorn led the Hoosiers with 26 points and knocked down 6 triples. Dorn has scored 67 points in the last three games in which he started as Tayton Conerway missed his second game in a row with an ankle injury. Lamar Wilkerson and Reed Bailey scored 24 points each as they combined for 17-19 from the free throw line with both missing one free throw each as Bailey came off the bench going for 12-13 and Wilkerson 5-6. Tucker DeVries scored 9 points and pulled 10 rebounds for the third game in a row. Sam Alexis scored 7 points; Conor Enright dished out 7 assists and scored 5 points and Jasai Miles played but did not score.

   The Hoosiers shot 28-66 from the field for 42%, 11-34 from three-point range for 32% and 31-38 from the free throw line for 81%. Indiana pulled down 40 rebounds, dished out 22 assists, 4 blocks, 3 steals and 11 turnovers. Indiana scored 34 points in the paint, 27 bench points, 17 points off turnovers, 14 fastbreak points and 13 second chance points. Indiana is 15-7 on the season and 6-5 in the Big Ten as the Hoosiers have won three straight games after they snapped a four-game losing streak. The Hoosiers will stay in Los Angeles to play at USC Tuesday Night at 10 PM Bloomington time which is 7 PM Los Angeles Time.

  The Hoosiers had three players foul out with Conor Enright, Reed Bailey and Jasai Miles leaving Wilkerson, Dorn, DeVries, Sisley and Alexis to play both overtimes and grinded out the win. Trent Perry nailed a three pointer two seconds left in a regulation to send the game to overtime tied 76-76. Sam Alexis tied the game with six seconds left on a layup to send it to a second overtime tied 84-84 as both teams scored 8 points in the first overtime. Indiana outscored UCLA 14-13 in the second overtime thanks to free throw by Trent Sisley. The game featured 15 changes and 13 ties.

   UCLA drops to 15-7 overall and 7-4 in the Big Ten as Bruins three-game winning streak is snapped along with their 12-home game winning streak. UCLA was without second leading scorer Skyy Clark for the eighth game in a row. Trent Perry scored 25 points and went 10-10 from the free throw line. Donovan Dent scored 24 points. Tyler Bilodeau scored 18 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for his first double double for the season. Eric Dailey Jr. added 11 points as Indianapolis Native and Cathedral High School Graduate Xavier Booker scored 7 points in 32 minutes.

  UCLA finished game 30-76 from the field 39%, 7-22 from three-point range for 31% and 30-34 from the free throw line for 88%. The Bruins pulled down 46 rebounds, 19 assists, 6 steals, 4 blocks and 10 turnovers. UCLA scored 38 points in the paint, 22 second chance points, 13 fastbreak points, 9 points off turnovers and 8 bench points.

   UCLA led 36-30 at halftime and Indiana outscored the Bruins 46-40 in the second half. This was a game that was back and forth and very physical. Of the 76 total rebounds in the game only 20 were offensive as UCLA had 12 and Indiana 8. The Hoosiers grinded out the win in their first overtime game of the season and UCLA’s first overtime game of the season. Indiana has found ways to win and have done it in different ways during this three-game stretch and now they have a chance to beat USC and claim their fourth Big Ten road win of the season to keep building their tournament resume and leave Los Angeles with two wins.