In a game that had the feel of a classic Big Ten football grudge match, the Indiana Hoosiers (15-7, 6-5) defined “winning ugly” and secured their third straight victory with a 98-97 double-overtime win over UCLA (15-7, 7-4) at Pauley Pavilion.
The victory snapped a four-game road losing streak and became the Hoosiers' first double-overtime win since February 10, 2021 at Northwestern.
Despite a late regulation collapse, in which a 10-point lead evaporated, it turned into a marathon slugfest with two overtime periods. Indiana found enough in the tank to hand the Bruins their first home loss in 14 games.
Following the game, head coach Darian DeVries praised his team’s refusal to give in when momentum swung violently toward the Bruins.
“I just love the fight that they had,” DeVries said. “The hardest thing sometimes is to stay in that fight when everything goes wrong that you could even imagine.”
DeVries was especially pleased with the play of his true freshman forward, Trent Sisley, who made a play to get the ball, was fouled, and sent to the free-throw line in the final seconds of the game. “To have a freshman make a play with a second left and knock down the free throw to win the game, that takes some guts,” DeVries said.
Leading scorers and key offensive pieces, Tucker DeVries and Lamar Wilkerson, struggled to find their rhythm from beyond the three-point line. This opened the opportunity for others to step up for the Hoosiers.
Nick Dorn continued his recent scoring surge, adding a team-high 26 points with six three-pointers in his 50th career start.
Dorn is averaging 22.3 points per game in his three starts this season. He became the first Hoosier since 2018 to post at least 25 points and six made threes in a Big Ten road contest.
Reed Bailey was incredible coming off the bench for Indiana. He tallied a strong 24 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Bailey became the first Indiana player since 1996 to record a 20-5-5 stat line off the bench. Bailey was 6-for-7 from the field, adding 12 points from the free throw line in his big offensive day.
Despite the shooting struggles earlier in the game for Lamar Wilkerson, the senior guard stepped up in the second half and down the stretch in both overtime periods. Wilkerson scored 10 of his 24 points in overtime.
Additionally, Conor Enright continued to put in a full day’s worth of work each time he sets foot on the hardwood for Indiana. The senior guard played 39 minutes, scored five points, dished out seven assists, and recorded two steals that helped the Hoosiers to the win.
The Hoosiers passed their way to victories. Indiana assisted on 22 of their 28 made field goals. Darian DeVries’s squad remains a perfect 7-0 on the season with 20 or more assists.
The Hoosiers converted 31 of 38 free throw attempts, the program's most free throws made in a single game since 2019.
This three-game winning streak has revitalized the program's energy, awakening a fan base still riding the high of the football program's recent National Championship.
There is a newfound palpable sense of confidence surrounding the locker room as the Hoosiers gear up for the back half of the conference slate. Indiana looks to sweep the Los Angeles road trip as they face USC this Tuesday, February 3, at 10 p.m. Eastern on Peacock.
