Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis goes up for two of his 20 points in a 66-60 win over Rutgers Tuesday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
(Indiana University Athletics)
The milestone moments keep piling up for Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Only one really mattered Tuesday night.
While he scored 20 points to become the sixth player in Hoosiers' history with 2,000 and the first among that group with 1,000 career rebounds, the most satisfying celebration came after No. 18 Indiana beat No. 24 Rutgers 66-60 — Jackson-Davis' first win in the series.
“I think that’s the last team in the Big Ten I hadn't beaten,” Jackson-Davis said after finishing with 18 rebounds and six assists.
From the moment Jackson-Davis announced he would attend Indiana, the expectations were great even as critics contended the results were underwhelming.
Nobody's complaining now. Jackson-Davis now has 2,004 points, 1,035 rebounds, a school-record 242 blocks and ranks fourth all-time with 44 double-doubles after breaking a tie with Steve Downing.
After helping the Hoosiers snap a five-year NCAA Tournament drought last season and falling out of the rankings after three straight January losses, Jackson-Davis has almost single-handedly led the Hoosiers (17-7, 8-5 Big Ten) into a second-place tie by winning seven of eight.
And his dominance is starting to open things up for his teammate. Or perhaps it's the other way around.
“I think we’ve gotten a lot better playing around Trayce, giving him space," Miller Kopp said after scoring 18 points. “It comes down to getting better at what the coaches are asking us to do and we're all feeling more comfortable with where our looks are coming from.”
It certainly showed against the Scarlet Knights (16-8, 8-5), who had won six straight over Indiana including a 15-point blowout in December.
This time, though, they spent most of the game playing catchup. Clifford Omoruyi had 15 points, Cam Spencer had 14 and nobody else made more than three baskets.
“It’s a one-possession game with three minutes left, but I look at the (free throw) disparity and you can’t defend the foul line,” coach Steve Pikiell said. “Give Indiana credit, they got there. Tracye Jackson-Davis was a problem.”
The Hoosiers started fast and then scored 12 straight points to take a 30-14 lead midway through the first half but even without injured starting forward Mawot Mag, Rutgers charged back. It closed the first half on an 11-2 run, then tied it at 38 when Spencer opened the second half with a 3-pointer.
Kopp broke the tie with his third 3 of the game to start an 11-0 run and Jackson-Davis' monumental basket, a putback dunk off his own miss, made it 54-44 with 11:13 to go.
The Scarlet Knights could have tied it on Caleb McConnell's 3 with 3:02 left, but it bounced off the back of the rim and the Hoosiers closed Jackson-Davis' big win with a 7-2 spurt.
“He’s a man who’s done a lot since he’s been here,” said coach Mike Woodson, who is 57 points ahead of Jackson-Davis on the Hoosiers' scoring list. “He's a phenomenal player who does a lot of beautiful things on the court. To get 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds says a lot.”
BIG PICTURE
Rutgers: Mag missed his first game with a torn ACL in his right knee and Rutgers struggled against Indiana's size and speed. There could be similar challenges over the final eight regular-season games.
Indiana: Woodson's team is playing, at times, like the conference's preseason pick to win the league title. When the Hoosiers make perimeter shots and defend well, they're a difficult matchup for anyone. They just need fewer lulls.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The victory should help solidify Indiana's top-20 status — at least until it hits the road for their next two games. Losing Mag and Tuesday's game may make Rutgers' return to the rankings short-lived regardless of what happens later this week.
