Indiana Looks Past Worst Team in Big Ten, Minnesota, and Deserved 77-74 Loss

To me, the hardest part isn't climbing the hill to the top, it's staying there. It was prevalent tonight.

Indiana (15-2, 3-2 Big Ten) was ranked in the top 10 for the first time since the 2007-2008 season and lost their first game ranked there, 77-74, to an under-matched Minnesota Golden Gophers (13-5, 1-4 Big Ten) team. No disrespect to Minnesota, but if Indiana gave even a 40 percent effort, the Hoosiers would have won.

When you jump out to a 15-1 start, every game becomes a fight. You will get everyone's best shot, and guys will play better than what they actually are just to put on a show for a national level. The underdog knows that playing a highly-ranked team gets them noticed and sees you as a bullseye.

Minnesota did that in earning their first conference win of the season on Indiana's home court.

This was a harsh reality check for this young Hoosiers team, as it looked as if they were looking ahead to the rematch with Ohio State on Sunday and taking this game against the worst team in the Big Ten for granted.

The defense was far too slow to stay in front of the ball, and the help side defense was horrid. The Hoosiers defense turned to matadors and spectators on the dribble drive from the Gophers guards instead of pick up the intensity that got them to this good start to the season.

It honestly looked like Indiana didn't take then Golden Gophers seriously and thought they would emerge in the win eventually.

For 37 minutes of the game, the Hoosier players all looked at someone else to bail them out. The problem was, everyone was searching, and no one wanted to step up.

Guys were missing shots, nobody was rebounding the backside and guys looked like they didn't want the ball.

Tonight's stat line was deceiving. If you just looked at the stats minus the three-point shots, you would have though Indiana would have won.

Indiana shot 43 percent to Minnesota's 46 percent. The Hoosiers only lost the rebounding margin by one 33-32. Steals were 7-6 Minnesota, and fouls were led by the Gophers, 25-19.

The two biggest keys were Minnesota's three-point shooting, 6-for-17 (35 percent) to Indiana's 4-for-18 (22 percent), and assists, which were won by the Gophers, 16-6. In fact, this game was so bad that Minnesota went 0-for-4 from three-point land in the second half, and the Hoosiers still couldn't have capitalized. The reason was Minnesota's 12 second-half offensive rebounds.

If Indiana would have played the quick solid defense and rebounded like they normally do, then this game would have been a blowout despite the poor three-point shooting from the No. 1 three-point shooting team in the nation.

Cody Zeller led the Hoosiers with 23 points and eight rebounds.

Jordan Hulls, who was benched to start the second half, along with fellow junior Christian Watford, had 13 and four points respectively.

Watford had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds, but missed the pull back three.

Sophomore Will Sheehey, who made his first appearance since Dec. 19, added 12 points off the bench, while fellow sophomore Victor Oladipo added 10 of his own.

Minnesota was led by Austin Hollins, who had a career-high 18 points.

Tonight's game was the first loss at Assembly Hall for the Hoosiers, and they will travel to play Ohio State on Sunday. Both teams are coming off of losses and will try to rebound and stay in the race for the Big Ten title on Sunday.