3 things that stood out as backcourt leads Indiana to win vs Syracuse, Kiyan Anthony

INDIANAPOLIS — A back-and-forth early season nonconference battle fell the way of Indiana on Monday night, in an 83-80 victory for Darian DeVries‘ team.

Here are three observations at the final horn, from Gainbridge Fieldhouse:

Defense still a concern

It certainly was in the first half, when Syracuse (2-1) shot 5 of 9 from behind the arc and averaged 1.19 unadjusted points per possession.

The problems were various. Indiana (3-0) struggled to keep the ball in front and out of the lane. The Hoosiers were poor again in rotation, and guarding shooters off the ball. There were spurts of real intensity, like a turnover-riddled stretch that prompted an 8-0 IU run and forced Syracuse coach Gerry McNamara into a timeout.

Overall, though, the defensive effort was well below par in the opening 20 minutes, and a large part of the reason the Orange led 38-34 at the intermission.

Ryan Moesch takeover

Indiana could not manage the freshman point guard for long stretches of Monday’s game. He dictated the tempo at which the game was played, made things happen at both ends of the floor, and showed great feel for when to create and when to chase his own offense.

Reflective of wider defensive concerns, IU struggled to find an adjustment or a matchup that could slow Moesch down. His excellence disrupted and eventually answered the Hoosiers’ strong offensive start to the second half, and put Syracuse back in front inside the final eight minutes of the game.

Hoosiers show up when it matters

Through their mistakes, the Hoosiers still dug in when it mattered.

If we’re going to spend the next few weeks wondering how this team might mature, we’re also going to wonder what it looks like when things get tight, and pressured, and stressful. DeVries will like the answer he got to that question Monday night.

Markus Burton hit a big 3. Darren Harris and Samet Yigitoglu both sank pressure free throws. The defense dug in when it mattered most.

Inbounding the ball against Syracuse pressure wasn’t always what you’d consider textbook, but the Hoosiers delivered when it mattered most, picking up a noteworthy early season win in the nonconference.

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 3 things that stood out as backcourt leads Indiana to win vs Syracuse, Kiyan Anthony