IU basketball: Indiana 74 Wisconsin 70 — Three keys, highlights, final stats

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana defeated Wisconsin on Tuesday evening at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall by a final score of 74-70.

The Hoosiers led at halftime 38-33. They were led in the game by Kel’el Ware with 27 points. Malik Reneau and Mackenzie Mgbako each added 14.

The three keys to the game, highlights and final stats are below.

Indiana (15-13, 7-10) will travel to Maryland to face the Terrapins on Sunday.

THREE KEYS TO THE GAME

1. Strong shooting performance. IU shot 61.7 percent from the field including 42.9 percent from three. It was a consistent effort as IU was above 60 and 40 in both halves. Kel’el Ware and Malik Reneau combined to go 17-of-20. Five different Hoosiers chipped in with three-pointers. The high-level shooting helped IU overcome 12 turnovers including eight in the second half.

2. Ware dominant. IU center Kel’el Ware scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. He was 11-12 from the field. The 7-footer did not play in the first meeting with the Badgers last month, a 12-point IU loss. Ware had 20 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks at halftime. Wisconsin mitigated his defensive impact after the break by pulling him out to the perimeter, and Indiana got him just one second half shot until around the six-minute mark. He scored five points in the final six minutes.

3. Resilience. Indiana gave up a 15-point lead, and even weathered a building evacuation caused by a fire alarm. But riding a four-game losing streak, IU scored the last six points of the game to pull out the win. For a team fighting through a plague of negative emotions, it was an impressive late game effort. And for a team struggling to make threes and free throws, Mackenzie Mgbako delivered both in the final five minutes.

HIGHLIGHTS