IU basketball (finally!) beats Rutgers behind another big night from Trayce Jackson-Davis

BLOOMINGTON -- Coming off the emotional high of beating its rival, the No. 1 team in the country, days earlier, IU basketball had another opportunity against Rutgers, a shot at a ranked team and a chance to pick up another big win within a relentless Big Ten schedule.

It wasn't pretty, but the Hoosiers did just that.

No. 18 Indiana played a quality defensive game and made enough shots to beat the Scarlet Knights, 66-60.

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IU's defensive plan had mixed results

Rutgers entered the night with two players shooting better than 40% from behind the 3-point line on more than nine attempts, and IU had a plan on defense centered around stopping both. As Paul Mulcahy crossed the halfcourt line with the ball, a Hoosier, often Jalen Hood-Schifino, picked him up well beyond the 3-point line. Indiana stayed similarly tight on Cam Spencer, who leads the Scarlet Knights from deep.

Indiana occasionally brought two defenders at Clifford Omoruyi in the post, and it led to opportunities for other Rutgers perimeter players. Oskar Palmquist connected on three 3-pointers as the Scarlet Knights heated up late in the first half to close what had been a 14-point Hoosiers lead to three at the break. Rutgers finished the game 8-for-25 from deep.

IU's primary sources of offense were Trayce Jackson-Davis and Miller Kopp

Rutgers brought a softer double team to Jackson-Davis than most opponents, dropping a wing down to the post when he got the ball, but not all the way into his airspace or for more than a few seconds. It gave the forward chances to take it to Omoruyi, his primary defender, when he struggled from the field at Rutgers in December. Jackson-Davis has 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting in the second matchup.

Kopp was active on the perimeter all game, finding open space, looking for his shot and driving on closeouts. He finished with 18 points and four 3-pointers.

They were two badly-needed performances because IU didn't get a lot of production from anyone else, even on an efficient night from the field, No one else had more than seven points. Hoosiers that weren't Kopp collectively made one 3-pointer.

Neither team executed down the stretch

As Indiana clung to a lead for the entire second half, the Hoosiers had chances to expand the gap. They committed 14 turnovers against a stout Rutgers zone defense. The Scarlet Knights managed to extend possessions by beating Indiana to loose balls and grabbing 11 offensive rebounds.

Rutgers, for its part, clanged its fair share of open looks. It was 2-for-14 from deep in the second half and 39.7% from the field for the game.

Ultimately, Indiana did enough to survive. It didn't put Rutgers away as much as the Scarlet Knights ran out of time. A Trey Galloway and-one and free throws in the final minute were enough to put the game out of reach.

No. 18 Indiana 66, Rutgers 60

RUTGERS (16-8): Hyatt 3-8 1-2 9, Omoruyi 6-12 3-4 15, McConnell 1-12 0-0 2, Mulcahy 1-4 0-2 2, Spencer 5-11 2-2 14, Simpson 3-5 0-0 7, Palmquist 3-4 0-0 9, Reiber 1-2 0-0 2, Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Woolfolk 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-58 6-10 60.

INDIANA (17-7): Jackson-Davis 8-14 4-8 20, Kopp 6-9 2-3 18, Thompson 1-6 4-4 6, Galloway 2-5 0-1 4, Hood-Schifino 2-9 3-3 7, Reneau 2-4 1-2 5, Bates 1-1 3-3 6, Banks 0-0 0-0 0, Geronimo 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-48 17-24 66.

Halftime—Indiana 38-35. 3-Point Goals_Rutgers 8-25 (Palmquist 3-4, Spencer 2-5, Hyatt 2-7, Simpson 1-3, Omoruyi 0-1, Reiber 0-1, McConnell 0-4), Indiana 5-12 (Kopp 4-6, Bates 1-1, Thompson 0-2, Hood-Schifino 0-3). Rebounds_Rutgers 31 (McConnell 8), Indiana 33 (Jackson-Davis 18). Assists_Rutgers 11 (Mulcahy 5), Indiana 15 (Jackson-Davis 6). Total Fouls_Rutgers 17, Indiana 13.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana basketball vs. Rutgers: Trayce Jackson-Davis carries IU to win