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BLOOMINGTON – For the second straight game, Indiana forward Malik Reneau fouled out after a lackluster performance.
Reneau was disqualified at the 6:23 mark of Indiana’s 76-72 loss to Northwestern on Sunday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Reneau had nine points and five rebounds but also had four turnovers. It is the first time this season that Reneau was limited to single-digit scoring in two consecutive games.
Reneau also fouled out in Indiana’s previous game, a 79-59 loss at Purdue on February 10. In that game, Reneau scored only six points.
Reneau was 7 of 20 from the field in those two games. In the wake of Sunday’s poor performance, Indiana coach Mike Woodson expressed his displeasure with the sophomore and the fouls.
“I wasn’t happy with him after the game. I mean, after he committed both, I thought the third foul was… it came very quickly. I mean, he walked up to the guy and, at the time, he didn’t think he fouled out, but I thought it was a foul,” Woodson said. “The fifth foul came so fast I couldn’t get it out, from the hit at the top of the pick and roll.”
The loss of Reneau stung as Indiana made a run to nearly erase a 16-point deficit in the final minutes.
It wasn’t just a foul. Reneau, who at one point this season was the Hoosiers’ assist leader, tended to hold on to the ball when he received it in the post. When Northwestern sent a defender or two to the talented forward, he forced a shot instead of passing it out.
Reneau had two assists in the game.
One thing is certain. With Indiana so reliant on its big men for point production, the Hoosiers’ hope for success is much slimmer with Reneau sidelined.
“The guy has played well this season for our ball club, and being our second leading scorer and second leading rebounder, we need him on the field, especially down the stretch,” Woodson said.
DEFENSE IN BUIE
If there was a bright spot in Indiana’s loss, it was the fact that Northwestern standout guard Boo Buie wasn’t the cause of the Hoosiers’ problems.
In fact, rookie guard Gabe Cupps did a good job defending the five-year veteran. Cupps was not exclusively against Buie, but was most often paired against him.
Buie missed his first seven shots and had a rare 3-of-14 performance from the field. His 14 points are five less than his season average.
“He’s obviously a great player. It’s hard to defend no matter what night it is,” Cupps said. “I thought I did pretty well when he was in isolation. He is one of the best ISO guys in the country.”
Cupps has been a solid defender on the ball. He will sometimes get caught up in screens, but he seemed more up for the challenge of fighting to the end that Sunday.
“I’ve always taken pride in the defensive side of the ball. At the end of the day, he didn’t do enough and got the win. He’s a great player, I just have to do the best he can,” Cupps said.
COLLINS PROUD OF WILDCATS
By praising his Wildcats’ effort in the victory, Northwestern coach Chris Collins might have provided some nightmare fuel for the Hoosiers.
“(Indiana) had eight days off to prepare for us, and we were on the East Coast with a real scrimmage at Rutgers on Thursday night and then minimal preparation for this game. “This game was a testament to the will of these guys,” Collins said.
It was Indiana’s second loss in Big Ten play after an eight-day layoff. The Hoosiers also lost at Illinois 70-62 on Jan. 27 under similar circumstances.
Northwestern dug deeper into its bench than it usually does. In the final seven minutes of the first half, Blake Preston, Justin Mullins and Blake Smith were on the court for the Wildcats. Nobody plays more than 10 minutes per game. The last two have played less than five minutes.
Smith played in just his third game all season.
“Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would be on the field in Indiana in a late-season game that we needed to win,” Collins said.
MANY GUESTS
With the NBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis, it not only meant a break for Indiana’s recent NBA stars, but also a chance to return to Bloomington for a homecoming.
Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino, both Hoosiers a year ago, attended the game. Jackson-Davis plays for the Golden State Warriors and Hood-Schifino for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jackson-Davis sat courtside with another recent former Hoosier (and former Wildcat), Miller Kopp.
Also at the game was Indiana State men’s basketball coach Josh Schertz, who attended with his family. He said his son had never seen a game at Assembly Hall, so they took the opportunity to do so.
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