5 keys to Indiana's loss at Illinois

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Top-ranked Indiana was upset by Illinois in Big Ten men's basketball action on Thursday.

Here were five keys in the Hoosier defeat:

1. Defend the three

Illinois is the Big Ten's most prolific three-point shooting team. It finished 9-for-24, but guard D.J. Richardson hit two huge ones at crunch time to spark the Illini rally.

2. Limit turnovers

IU had six turnovers early, which helped keep Illinois in the game. It settled down for a while, but finished with 14. Illinois converted that into 28 points.

3. Crunch time play

The Hoosiers led 70-61 with 3:33 left, then got outscored 13-2. They missed shots, couldn't stop Richardson, couldn't execute a final play that could have won the game, and couldn't defend a simple in-bounds play.

4. Movement on offense

IU is at his best when it cuts and passes, but in the closing minutes, especially in its last possession, the movement slowed. Guard Victor Oladipo was stripped of the ball, which led to Illinois' winning points.

5. Over-help on defense

The Hoosiers' game plan centered on staying on their man and not over helping because that would lead to open three-pointers. In the final minutes, they didn't stick to the game plan and Richardson made them pay.

pdiprimio@news-sentinel.com