Indiana Has Best 3-Point Shooting Of Season In Win Over Penn State
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – February has been a pretty forgettable month from beyond the arc for the Indiana men’s basketball team.
Indiana’s best performance was 31.6% in a 70-67 home loss against Michigan on Feb. 8. All of the Hoosiers’ other February games have featured team 3-point shooting percentages below 30%, including a low of 31.1% in the 73-58 win over Purdue Sunday.
Up until Wednesday’s home game against Penn State, the Hoosiers had made just 25.2% of their 3-point shots in February.
Against the Nittany Lions, the Hoosiers finally started hitting from long range. Indiana drained 10 of 15 from 3-point range, a big reason the Hoosiers were able to overcome 10 missed free throws and 14 turnovers in an 83-78 Big Ten Conference win at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Five different Hoosiers connected from 3-point range, led by Trey Galloway’s 4-for-5 performance. For Galloway, that tied a career record in makes and was his best career percentage with four 3-pointers made.
Myles Rice (2-for-2), Luke Goode (2-for-3), Kanaan Carlyle (1-for-2) and Mackenzie Mgbako (1-for-3) all found their range on Wednesday.
Indiana’s team percentage of 60% was the Hoosiers’ best of the season – the previous best was an 8-for-15 performance (53%) against Providence at Battle 4 Atlantis.
It’s the best percentage Indiana has reached since it converted 5 of 8 for 62.5% in a March 6, 2024, game at Minnesota. It’s the best percentage with at least 10 3-pointers made (the NCAA standard for 3-point records) since the Hoosiers were 10 of 13 in a Jan. 26, 2022, game also against Penn State.
It goes to show how random 3-point shooting can be. Coming into the game, Mgbako was 4 of 25 and Galloway was 4 of 24 in their previous five games. Rice was 3 of 12 going back to Jan. 31. Carlyle had only made one 3-pointer in February.
Only Goode has been a consistent threat from beyond the arc and even he was just 32.3% in February from 3-point range going into the Penn State game.
Indiana coach Mike Woodson frequently says shooting will come. He was finally proven right on Wednesday.
“I’ve been saying that shit for three years. Guys have been getting good looks but hadn’t knocked them down, and tonight we made them. It was nice to see. I hope that’s a good sign moving forward,” Woodson said.
Galloway said the 3-point shots came as a result of Indiana reading what Penn State does defensively.
“I think we just knew that they’re a heavy team that closes in on gaps. And I think we were going to be able to get open shots. And keep shooting the ball with confidence. That’s the biggest thing we’ve been kind of preaching,” Galloway said.
Indiana also had 24 assists on 29 made field goals whether they were threes or not. When the ball is moving around in that fashion, it makes it easier to get and make open 3-point looks.
“I think we’re doing a great job of sharing it. Guys are being unselfish and really wanting to find ways for us to score. So it’s been good,” Galloway said.
