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IU basketball led by as many as nine points, but collapsed down the stretch in a 72-60 loss to Kentucky at Rupp Arena.
Here are five takeaways from the Wildcats:
Road shooting woes continue
After a poor 8-for-27 3-point shooting performance in a loss at Minnesota on Dec. 3, things got worse for the Hoosiers in Lexington.
Indiana torched the nets on Tuesday against Penn State, finishing 17-for-31 from distance.
But against an opponent with length, athleticism and determination to challenge most shots and Lamar Wilkerson on the bench for much of the game with foul trouble, the Hoosiers never got going from the perimeter in Saturday’s loss.
IU connected on a season-low four 3-pointers in its first double-digit loss of the season and shot 16.7 percent, also a season-low.
The roster is constructed to take and make a high volume of 3-pointers. When that doesn’t happen, the results have been ugly.
IU’s turnovers helped fuel Kentucky’s offense
Kentucky’s struggles entering Saturday’s game were well documented. The Wildcats were desperate to get their offense going against high-major competition.
Indiana’s carelessness with the ball was just the fuel that was needed.
The Hoosiers coughed the ball up a season-high 18, finishing with a turnover percentage of 26.9. Entering the game, Kentucky’s opponents had been turning it over on just 15.7 percent of possessions, ranking 269th nationally.
Most of the mistakes were a result of IU’s sloppiness rather than Kentucky’s pressure.
But to their credit, the Wildcats capitalized, scoring 23 points off of IU’s mistakes. Kentucky won the points off turnovers battle 23-6, a significant factor in a 12-point win.
Hoosiers continue to struggle to finish defensive possessions
Defensive rebounding was viewed as a potential Achilles Heel entering the season.
The Hoosiers began the season with Reed Bailey starting at the five and have moved to Sam Alexis, a better rebounder, over the last two games.
But even with Alexis on the floor for 30 minutes in Saturday’s loss, Kentucky’s size and athleticism overwhelmed IU on the boards, particularly in the second half.
Over the final 20 minutes, the Wildcats grabbed nine offensive rebounds and scored 11 second-chance points.
For the game, Kentucky outscored Indiana 18-6 in second-chance points.
Indiana needs more consistency from Tayton Conerway
It was a tale of two halves for Tayton Conerway on Saturday night.
The former Sun Belt player of the year was solid in the opening 20 minutes as IU built a seven-point halftime lead.
The 6-foot-3 guard logged 13 first-half minutes and had seven points and no turnovers while shooting 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.
But Conerway’s struggles in the second half were an issue for the Hoosiers.
He committed four of Indiana’s 12 second-half turnovers in just 11 minutes. Two of those mistakes happened during a crucial stretch when Kentucky took control of the game. The Hoosiers were up seven but turned it over on five straight possessions and the Wildcats took the lead for good.
IU will have to play through some of the mistakes with Conerway, but he needs to make the simple play more consistently when running the offense.
Lamar Wilkerson’s foul trouble hampers Indiana’s offense
The only player on IU’s roster who had an efficient shooting night was Lamar Wilkerson.
The Sam Houston State transfer was 5-for-11 from the field, including a 2-for-5 mark on 3-pointers and a 3-for-4 mark from the free-throw line.
He finished with 15 points. But a key development for IU was Wilkerson’s inability to stay on the floor due to fouls.
The Arkansas native played just 22 minutes because of fouls. He picked up three in the first half and his fourth early in the second half.
The fourth foul was a development IU couldn’t overcome. When he committed his fourth at the 17:58 mark, the Hoosiers led 42-35. By the time Wilkerson reentered the game with 9:30 left, Kentucky had the lead and momentum. Over that stretch of eight and a half minutes, IU scored only nine points.
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
See More: Five Takeaways, Kentucky Wildcats
