BLOOMINGTON — The biggest shot of Trey Galloway’s Indiana career wasn’t exactly a Hollywood-scripted moment.
IU held a 58-56 lead over fellow NCAA Tournament bubble contender Ohio State with 1:45 remaining at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday. OSU forward John Mobley Jr. dribbled the ball off his foot, and it rolled into the backcourt and out of bounds in front of the IU bench. This gave the Hoosiers possession, but with just 20 seconds on the shot clock, as they passed it in from beyond halfcourt.
But both Indiana players and coaches were confused.
“We didn’t know the rule. I don’t think anybody around the court really knew the rule that it resets to 20,” Galloway said after the game. “I thought it might have been a clock malfunction or something.”
Head coach Mike Woodson fervently alerted the officials, even crossing the sideline to go on the court to make his case in the middle of the action. Galloway, while dribbling just beyond the halfcourt line, also tried to call the referee’s attention to what he thought was a clock issue. It was a chaotic moment, and not the typical beginning of a “biggest play of a career.”
Nothing came from their pleas, so the Hoosiers had to improvise. Galloway signaled to his teammates to put something in place quickly, and called Malik Reneau over for a ball screen. But the play broke down, and Buckeyes junior Bruce Thornton stuck with Galloway as he dribbled left. And with less than five seconds left on the shot clock, the IU fifth-year determined he had enough space to shoot. So he pulled up and launched the ball towards the basket from well beyond the 3-point line.
The shot swished through the net. The crowd erupted. Indiana’s bench went crazy. Galloway’s teammates could hardly believe what just happened.
“I said to myself out loud, I said, ‘Oh,’ and then ‘S-H-I-T,'” Luke Goode said. “I was pretty happy. It was a big shot.”
OMG.
Trey Galloway nothing but net from 30 feet to put @IndianaMBB in control 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Ts9ukkRIS4
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 8, 2025
That put the Hoosiers ahead by five with 1:24 to go, and it provided a catalyst to help them finish strong and secure a massive 66-60 victory.
Galloway has played a lot of basketball for Indiana; he recently set the program record for games played. He’s experienced plenty of highs and lows through the years.
But that electrifying, deep 3-pointer topped any other individual play he’s made in his five-year career. That shot may have been the moment Indiana secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
It also sent him above 1,000 points, the 56th player in IU history to reach that milestone. And it came on his senior night.
“I couldn’t be more proud because he’s caught so much hell, and it was only fitting that he hit the biggest shot of the game tonight to really seal it and give us the cushion that we needed to win,” Woodson said. “So I couldn’t be more proud of Trey Galloway and his career he’s had here on this basketball floor.”
Galloway’s journey as a Hoosier hasn’t always been smooth. He committed to IU under Archie Miller, and played for him as a freshman. The Culver, Ind. native stuck around when Woodson replaced Miller after the 2021 season, and played key roles for the 2022 and 2023 Indiana teams that reached back-to-back NCAA Tournaments.
The guard never became a true star at IU. He was never an all-conference player, never his team’s best option on either end of the court. But he became a trusted player for Woodson — which came with some burden. When Woodson saw a player as one of his guys, he’d be more inclined to give them tough love. Galloway bore the brunt of that at times, especially during his final two seasons in Bloomington.
IU fans grew frustrated with Galloway during the team’s January struggles, loudly booing him throughout the Illinois game. That was one of the ugliest days in the modern history of Assembly Hall, as the Hoosiers played really poorly and fans made sure they knew it — first through booing and chants, and then by leaving at halftime.
Those moments clearly stuck with Indiana, and the particular vitriol aimed at Galloway bothered Woodson.
“The only thing you can remember (about) Trey is that he plays hard. He competes. And you would be fooling yourself if you think anything else,” Woodson said. “For the fans to sit in here and boo him during the time that they booed him, it just wasn’t right. It just wasn’t. Because that kid competes. He gives his heart. Have nothing but respect and love for Galloway.”
The fifth-year never showed any frustration or resentment from that day as he soldiered on through the rest of the season. He’d enjoy some good games and endure some bad ones, just as he had throughout his career.
But on Saturday, Galloway made several big shots when Indiana needed it most. It provided some full-circle moments for him, both within this season and his career. IU, as Goode pointed out, had lost some games earlier in the year on similar moments — Maryland guard Rodney Rice’s 3-pointer in Bloomington, Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn’s tough shot at Mackey Arena, Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad’s deep 3-pointer in Eugene, Ore. last week.
Indiana finally wound up on the right side of the crunch-time clutch play. Galloway yelled at the student section after the shot went in, and the fans roared back at the court. In that moment, it was as if the Illinois game never happened — or it signified that rough day finally being put in the past.
Galloway and the Hoosiers still have basketball to play — in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament, and then March Madness, barring any surprises. He still has time to write the ending to his IU career.
But with everything he’d gone through this year — easing his way back into his normal role after recovering from offseason knee surgery, being a veteran leader of an underperforming team, and then helping lead that team back from the dead — this was a career-defining moment for Trey Galloway.
But that’s not what he’ll remember about his senior night.
“Happy that we got the win on senior day,” Galloway said. That’s what I’ll remember the most is winning and going out as a winner at Assembly Hall.”
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