Indiana loses to Saint Mary’s in blowout to end 2021-22 season

Indiana loses to Saint Mary’s in a blowout. Were the Hoosiers simply too tired due to the number of games they played in recent days? How should you view Mike Woodson’s first season overall?

The Indiana Hoosiers lost to Saint Mary’s, 82-53. The Hoosiers were led by Trayce Jackson Davis. Davis had 12 points on 50 percent shooting. The Gaels were led by Logan Johnson. Johnson had 20 points on 61 percent shooting. Another notable player for Saint Mary’s was Tommy Kuhse. Kuhse had 19 points on 40 percent shooting.

Saint Mary’s seem to be getting anything they wanted on the offensive end. The Gaels knew that the Hoosiers were exhausted before the game so they decided to use as take as much time on offense as possible. Saint Mary’s did this well as they are one of the best in the country at doing this.

It also didn’t help Indiana that it shot 20 percent from three. Additionally, the Hoosiers shot a very dismal 34 percent from the field overall. Saint Mary’s shot 51 percent from the field overall and 47 percent from three.

While Indiana keep this game tight in the opening minutes, the Hoosiers were simply exhausted. This was Indiana’s second game in three days. Additionally, the Hoosiers played in the Big Ten Tournament for three straight days in the late part of last week. This made the Hoosiers very tired. In contrast, this was Saint Mary’s first game in 10 days after losing in the WWC tournament finals.

Saint Mary’s will advance to the round of 32 to play the winner of UCLA/Akron. Saint Mary’s will have a solid chance to win against either team. While a potential game against UCLA (assuming Akron does not pull off the upset) will be a tough matchup, the Gaels’ defense will give them a chance to win. If they advance, Saint Mary’s could potentially have a very hard opponent in Baylor.

For the first time since 2016, the Indiana Hoosiers made the tournament and won a tournament game. That is a very great accomplishment for Mike Woodson in his first year. The fanbase should be very happy with the season they had. Indiana beat rival Purdue for the first time since 2016. Additionally, you have to take in the fact that the best is yet to come for Indiana.

Next year’s recruiting class is 16th in the nation according to 247 sports. The most notable of IU’s class is Jalen Hood-Schifino is a five-star recruit. College basketball is better when Indiana is good and it seems that the Hoosiers are well on their way to getting back to blue-chip status next year and beyond.