Did you expect that?
The Hoosier defense thrived.
Haven’t we seen this before?
And Trayce Jackson? He did what an all-Big Ten performer does on college basketball’s biggest stage.
He dominated.
The result — bring on Saint Mary’s.
Tuesday night’s 66-58 victory over Wyoming Tuesday night lifted Indiana (21-13) past the First Four hurdle and into a Thursday night main NCAA tourney draw opportunity in Portland, Ore.
Coach Mike Woodson‘s locker room message to the Hoosiers via IU Basketball video was to the point.
“One down. One at a time. Total team effort. Stay the course. You’ve got to believe in each other and the process.”
And then, in the post-game press conference:
“Wyoming really pushed us, and our guys responded.
“Our defense was the key when we were struggling offensively to make shots. But we just kept grinding.”
In his first college season, Woodson directed the Hoosiers to their first NCAA tourney victory since 2016.
“This is for Hoosier Nation,” assistant coach Yasir Rosemond told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during the post-game radio show. “They’ve been waiting six long years. We hear it. We know what it means to win this game. This is March Madness and we’re happy to get a win.”
What IU’s performance lacked beauty — Rosemond called it an “ugly” game — it made up for in grit, defense and offensive rebounding. The Hoosiers had a 16-6 edge in second-chance points to overcome 2-for-13 three-point shooting.
“Wyoming likes to play ugly and slow,” Rosemond told Fischer. “Our guys fought through it.”
Geronimo, who missed last Saturday’s Big Ten tourney semifinal loss to Iowa because of a leg injury, was an above-the-rim force. He scored (15 points), rebounded (seven) and energized off the bench in 19 minutes.
“That’s what he brings to the table,” Rosemond told Fischer.
“It’s what Coach Woodson preaches, next man up. Our guys believe that. He believes in each and every one of those guys.”
Geronimo made Wyoming coach Jeff Linder a believer.
“He kept making winning plays,” Linder said.
Jackson-Davis has seen this before.
“I wasn’t surprised at all,” he said. “He’s an energy guy. He’s going to rebound. He’s going to go get things at the top of the backboard and dunk it hard.
“He’s performing at a high level. Without him, we probably would have lost.”
Added Geronimo: “I was surprised by how good I felt. I just trusted how I felt. I played how I usually play — just explosive.”
Jackson-Davis had 29 points and nine rebounds. In four postseason games, he has averaged 26.3 points.
“We know where our bread is buttered,” Rosemond told Fischer about getting Jackson-Davis the ball. “We were going into the big fella. He had a matchup we felt good about it. He did the job like he has all season.”
Xavier Johnson added 10 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
IU rattled a Wyoming team that thrived on minimizing turnovers into 13 of them in the first half. The result – an 11-2 edge in points off turnovers, and a 30-25 halftime lead.
By the end, Wyoming had 19 turnovers (eight above its average) that the Hoosiers converted into a 17-3 advantage.
“We’ve been great defensively all year,” Woodson said.
Wyoming (25-9) opened big with a 6-9 and 6-10 frontcourt, and a pair of 6-7 guards. IU countered with stifling defense to force the Cowboys into early 1-for-8 shooting.
A Johnson three-pointer pushed the Hoosiers ahead 9-3.
They continued to squeeze the life out of Wyoming’s offense. The Cowboys had a 2-for-14 shooting stretch, and a five-minute scoring drought.
Still, IU only led 13-8. Wyoming, with nasty defense of its own, rallied for a 13-13 tie as the clock ticked under six minutes.
The Cowboys took a 21-17 lead. The Hoosiers went ahead 22-21 on a Jackson-Davis three-point play.
Their defense flustered Maldonado into a series of turnovers that IU turned into points, including a rim-rocking dunk from Geronimo.
By halftime, Jackson-Davis had 14 points, Maldonado had seven turnovers and the Hoosiers had a 30-25 lead. They had a 12-0 edge on fast-break points and a 20-8 advantage in points in the paint.
IU took a brief seven-point second half lead, then used a third Geronimo highlight dunk for a 38-33 advantage. He added a basket and a three-pointer. Galloway followed his missed three-pointer for a layup and a 45-37 Hoosier lead.
Indiana went ahead by nine points and then 10, and then closed the Cowboys out.
“I told the guys, hey, it’s going to be a grind,” Woodson said. “It was one of those ugly games. Our defense was the key.”
Now comes No. 5 seed Saint Mary’s (25-7), the West Coast Conference runner-up with a victory over top-seed Gonzaga on its resume.
“I hope we have a heck of a crowd out there,” Woodson said. “I hope they travel. We travel pretty far.
“We still have to play the game. We can’t run from it. Saint Mary’s is a great program. They’ve had a hell of a year.”
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