3 reasons IU basketball beat Ohio State: How Hoosiers got most important win of the season

Indiana followed a damaging loss to Penn State with its most important win to date, beating No. 12 Ohio State 67-51 to earn its first victory over a ranked opponent this season and its first Quadrant 1 win according to the NET rankings.

The Hoosiers improve to 10-3 overall, 2-2 in the Big Ten with the biggest plus so far on their NCAA tournament resume. The Buckeyes fall to 9-3, 3-1. Here are three reasons why it happened.

Welcome back, Trey Galloway: Sophomore's return sparks IU basketball past Ohio State

Doyel: Mike Woodson's not joking around as IU gets last laugh vs. No. 12 Ohio State

Answering the call: This is why Trayce Jackson-Davis returned. Criticism from Mike Woodson won't hurt.

Trayce Jackson-Davis responded

Though Indiana All-American center Trayce Jackson-Davis was Indiana's only scorer in double figures in Sunday's loss to Penn State with 20 points, coach Mike Woodson called him out for the the fact that he only had five rebounds in a game in which the Hoosiers had a -10 rebound margin. He also pointed out that Jackson-Davis was 8 of 18 from the field and missed some chippies that would have made a difference in the Hoosiers' 61-58 defeat.

Pardon me: Jackson-Davis bonks his 'brother,' Joey Brunk, in the head with the ball

Jackson-Davis apparently got the message the way Woodson wanted him too, and took advantage of the fact that he largely faced single coverage against the Buckeyes, who weren't doubling off of Indiana's shooters. Jackson-Davis had 20 points before another Indiana player had two field goals and finished with 27 points on 11 of 17 shooting and also led the team with 12 rebounds and five blocks.

Excellent defense on E.J. Liddell

Ohio State junior E.J. Liddell is a likely first-team All-Big Ten pick and a possible All-American, but the Hoosiers made him work for his points on Thursday. He scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds, but finished 3 of 12 from the field, 1 of 5 from 3-point range, and the Hoosiers never let him get a real rhythm.

Senior forward Race Thompson drew the initial assignment on Lindell and he was as good as expected, offering size in the paint and athleticism on the perimeter to keep him scoring in either area. Thompson got beat on a screen and roll and slips for baskets, but otherwise kept him in check. Sophomore forward Jordan Geronimo was just as good if not better coming off the bench against Liddell however, using his length and leaping ability to deny him good looks. Jackson-Davis was strong against Liddell as well when he found himself on Liddell in switches, and the Hoosiers ultimately won the matchup between the two star big men.

The return of Trey Galloway

Sophomore guard Trey Galloway returned to the floor for the first time since he broke his left wrist against St. John's on Nov. 17, and brought the energy on both ends the Hoosiers have come to expect from him.

Galloway played 19 minutes and scored eight points on 3 of 5 shooting with four assists, three rebounds and two steals. The Hoosiers outscored Ohio State by 17 points when he was on the floor, giving him the second-highest plus-minus on the team behind Jackson-Davis' +21. He was strong and opportunistic in his defensive matchup, aggressive on the dribble-drive, and characteristically unselfish with those assists. He had a chance at a clean layup near game's end but instead threw it up for an alley-oop to Jackson-Davis.

Indiana 67, Ohio St. 51

OHIO ST. (9-3): Ahrens 2-6 0-0 6, Key 0-2 2-2 2, Liddell 3-12 4-4 11, Branham 5-13 2-2 13, Wheeler 1-5 0-0 3, M.Johnson 2-6 1-2 7, Young 1-4 0-0 3, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Brunk 2-2 2-2 6, Russell 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 16-52 11-12 51.

INDIANA (11-3): Jackson-Davis 11-17 5-6 27, Kopp 2-6 0-0 4, Thompson 3-7 5-5 11, X.Johnson 1-7 0-1 2, Stewart 2-8 0-0 5, Phinisee 1-6 0-0 2, Galloway 3-5 2-2 8, Geronimo 1-2 1-2 4, Durr 1-1 2-2 4, Bates 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 25-61 15-18 67.

Halftime—Indiana 33-30. 3-Point Goals_Ohio St. 8-27 (M.Johnson 2-4, Ahrens 2-6, Branham 1-3, Young 1-3, Liddell 1-5, Wheeler 1-5, Russell 0-1), Indiana 2-15 (Geronimo 1-2, Stewart 1-5, X.Johnson 0-1, Thompson 0-1, Kopp 0-3, Phinisee 0-3). Rebounds_Ohio St. 32 (Liddell 9), Indiana 40 (Jackson-Davis 12). Assists_Ohio St. 12 (Wheeler 6), Indiana 14 (Galloway 4). Total Fouls_Ohio St. 13, Indiana 13.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Trayce Jackson-Davis, Trey Galloway lead Indiana over OSU