Indiana continued its frustrating pattern of inconsistency on Tuesday night, falling 79-70 at Northwestern for their fifth straight loss to the Wildcats. After building a six-point halftime lead with an 18-2 run to close the first half, IU's defense completely fell apart after intermission as Northwestern scored 54 second-half points on a blistering 62.5% shooting.

While Indiana showed brief signs of life with a 10-0 second-half run to take a 52-49 lead, Northwestern responded with a devastating 21-4 run that effectively ended any hopes of IU's first win in Evanston since 2019. The loss drops Indiana to 14-6 (5-4 B1G).

Key Talking Points:

• Northwestern torched IU's defense for 1.69 points per possession in the second half

• Four Wildcats (Barnheizer, Martinelli, Barry, Leach) combined for 77 of Northwestern's 79 points

• IU's offense remained overly reliant on contested mid-range jumpers while Northwestern generated clean looks

• Malik Reneau showed significant rust in his return, going 0-6 in 11 limited minutes

• Another game defined by IU's inability to sustain positive momentum when taking leads

Plus, as always, the Banner Moment, Meaningful Moments You Might Have Missed, Inside the Numbers, and our Game Balls, Hustle Award, and Lingering Questions. That's all in this edition of The Assembly Call.

On the mics: Andy Bottoms, Coach Brian Tonsoni, and Josh Pos

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join us immediately following Indiana's Friday night game at Ohio State where the Hoosiers won a 77-76 thriller.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Illinois thoroughly dominated Indiana in a 94-69 rout at Assembly Hall that represented one of the program's most discouraging performances in recent memory.

The Hoosiers fell behind by 30 in the first half and never mounted a serious challenge, dropping their second straight game by 25+ points.

Defense and effort were major issues from the opening tip, as Illinois built their lead through a combination of hot three-point shooting (8 first-half threes) and dominant offensive rebounding (17 second-chance points in the first half). While IU showed brief signs of life with a 10-0 run to start the second half, they could never seriously threaten the Illini's lead.

Key Discussion Topics:

• Complete defensive collapse, particularly in transition and defensive rebounding

• Concerning lack of competitive response when falling behind early

• Questions about accountability as the same issues persist game after game

• Unprecedented negative crowd reaction including significant departures at halftime

• Growing concerns about the program's direction after consecutive 25-point losses

Plus, as always, the Banner Moment, Meaningful Moments You Might Have Missed, Inside the Numbers, and our Game Balls, Hustle Award, and Lingering Questions. That's all in this edition of The Assembly Call.

On the mics: Andy Bottoms, Ryan Phillips, Coach Brian Tonsoni, and (eventually) Jerod Morris

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.