Mar 08, 2026
3 min read
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Darian DeVries had a look of surprise on his face, his palms visible on the runway above him, as he watched Devin Royal seal his team's fate with three minutes left in the four-point game.
"We couldn't stop": IU basketball's inconsistent defense in loss at OSU
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Darren DeVries had a confused look on his face, his hands above him reading the court as he watched Devin Royal seal his team's fate with a four-point play with three minutes left.
He faced his coaching staff before slowly walking away.As he moved, his eyes drifted upward toward the billboard that illuminated the south end of the Schottenstein Center with a digital ribbon board.
It did not illuminate a beautiful scene.
"OHIO STATE 86 | second half 3:01 | INDIANA 73"
Royal's free throw gave Ohio State its 87th point of the night, putting the home team back up by 14, effectively closing the door on a Hoosiers comeback.
Indiana's gutsy possession that it desperately needed in a game it couldn't put down resulted in a 91-78 loss in Columbus on Saturday afternoon.
“We got where we wanted to be,” senior forward Reid Bailey said after the game."We're down by 11, and you know, I think we just have to find something to dig deeper at this point to come out and bounce back."
The shot effectively ended Indiana's tournament hopes, but a lack of intensity on the defensive end — especially in the first half — ultimately plagued the Hoosiers.
At the eight-down media timeout, Indiana clawed its way back into the game, cutting its 11-point deficit to 3 with an 8-0 run.Momentum seemed to have turned to DeVries' team, and the match seemed set for back-and-forth ties.
The momentum came to an abrupt halt after the team broke the huddle as the horn sounded at the Schottenstein Center.Ohio State controlled all but two of its shots to end the half with a commanding 17-point lead.Most of the baskets were not open during a 22-8 run late in the half that Indiana's defense allowed.The Buckeyes shot 67.9 percent, making eight strokes from deep to the pullback.
The 50-point first half marked the second time this year that Indiana scored more than 50 points in a half (Nebraska scored 53 in the second half on Jan. 10).
"We were unstoppable," DeVries said.“We went back and forth a little bit and went in pretty good shape, had to drive the rim two times, hit three times and the lead exploded.
"We have to put ourselves in a position to win the game, and to have a run like that, it's certainly disappointing."
Already behind, the second half began as the first ended;Ohio State scored at will.The Hoosiers took over full-court and increased their defensive strength to eight-under media timeouts in the second half.The Buckeyes felt the pressure, turned the ball over in the backcourt, and Indiana got back into the game.
It's too little, too late, though.Indiana's lackluster defense in the first 32 minutes finally caught up with them.DeVries and his team took to the floor for the fifth time in six games.Now they head to Chicago and need the Big Ten Tournament in November to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
"We're very motivated to get into the Big Ten tournament and show what we can really do," Bailey said."I think if you have that bad taste in your mouth, that's enough motivation to really get out there and run."
Like many games this season, Indiana couldn't dig itself out of the hole it dug itself into Saturday night.It waited too long to play as if its season was over.Self-inconsistency is the only constant in Indiana's season, and it could be the final nail in the coffin.
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
See more: Media, Ohio State Buckeyes
