Indiana’s men’s basketball team secured a 77-68 victory over Winthrop on Sunday, despite a challenging performance from beyond the arc and the absence of starting center Oumar Ballo. Ballo, who averages 12.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, was unexpectedly sidelined; head coach Mike Woodson declined to provide specifics, stating, “I’m not going to address that.”
In Ballo’s absence, the Hoosiers adopted a smaller lineup, which struggled with perimeter shooting, hitting just 1 of 20 attempts from three-point range—their lowest output since a 2024 loss to Illinois. Despite these shooting woes, Indiana managed a 45.5% field goal percentage overall.
Forward Langdon Hatton stepped up significantly, playing a season-high 26 minutes and contributing seven points, 11 rebounds (including six offensive boards), and three blocks. His performance earned praise from Coach Woodson, who remarked, “Thank God for Langdon. I thought he played his butt off. Gave him the game ball.”
Guards Myles Rice and Trey Galloway also played pivotal roles. Rice led the team with 18 points, while Galloway added 11 points and five assists. Forward Malik Reneau contributed 14 points but was limited to 14 minutes due to foul trouble.
The game remained tight until the final minutes, with Indiana leading by just one point with 3:16 remaining. However, the Hoosiers closed on an 8-0 run to secure the win, improving their record to 10-3 as they prepare to resume Big Ten play against Rutgers on January 2.