Hurricanes blow Hoosiers away on the glass as IU's season ends with whimper in 2nd round

ALBANY, N.Y. – A flurry of second chances and a too-late, too-short comeback sank Indiana's season Sunday, the Hoosiers losing 85-69 to Miami in the NCAA tournament round of 32. Here are three reasons why:

Miami starts on fire

Twenty points in the first eight minutes told a pretty direct story of Indiana’s trouble with Miami (27-7) in the first half.

Lawrence Central alumnus Nijel Pack hit early 3s to pace the ACC’s best offense, as the Hurricanes’ quickness and decisiveness carved holes in No. 4 seed IU early on. The Hoosiers responded with rushed possessions and careless turnovers. Seven of the latter more than tripled the number they’d committed in the first half against a (statistically) much better defensive team in Kent State on Friday night.

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Indiana (23-12) managed to steady itself. Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 11 points in the opening half, but Miami’s pressure made his team play away from him instead of through him, stunting IU’s offense. Miller Kopp added eight for the Hoosiers, including a momentum-grabbing corner 3-pointer in the dying seconds of the half to cut a lead that had ballooned to as many as 13 down to just five.

Game state could’ve been better for Indiana at that point, but it could also have been much, much worse. The Hoosiers had at least pulled themselves back into the game going into the break.

Hoosiers can’t clean the glass

Defensive rebounding has been a mounting concern, as Indiana has pared down its rotation.

The why is straightforward. Not enough guards excel in rebounding for a team that tends to force jumpers that lead to long caroms, and with Trayce Jackson-Davis stationed at the rim to hunt blocks, the Hoosiers need those players clearing the glass more often than they have.

Miami took note, and took advantage to the tune of 20 offensive rebounds Sunday. More than once, second chances were followed by third chances, as the Hurricanes grabbed multiple boards in one possession.

Extra points piled up, as IU undid its own good defensive work by allowing one of the best offensive teams in the country far too much extra bites at the proverbial apple. When Miami rallied from Indiana’s furious second-half start to restore a double-digit lead, the Hurricanes did it with second chances.

Hoosiers go quietly

One of the most prolific careers in IU history ended in an anti-climax.

The Hoosiers' rebounding issues coupled to a string of puzzingly bad offensive possessions, Miami making enough shots and converting enough extra looks to send the Hoosiers home.

Trayce Jackson-Davis walked off the floor one of Indiana's best of all time, but his career ended well short of his own ambitions. Miami had too much offensive firepower for a limited Indiana team to manage while still handing the Hurricanes so many second and third chances. The Hoosiers could not hold tightly enough to the margins. Their season ended in New York.

It will be an offseason of major transition in Bloomington. Jackson-Davis is headed to the NBA. Jalen Hood-Schifino seems likely to join him. Race Thompson and Miller Kopp are out of eligibility, and Xavier Johnson will need to ask for a waiver to play a sixth year.

No one will worry too much about that Sunday. Anything sweet in the Hoosiers' season was also bitter, as the end arrived earlier than anyone on the MVP Arena home bench would have hoped.

Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.

Miami 85, Indiana 69

MIAMI (27-7): Omier 3-5 1-2 7, Miller 9-16 1-3 19, Pack 5-12 0-0 12, Poplar 3-6 0-0 6, Wong 9-17 5-5 27, Joseph 2-8 1-3 7, Walker 2-4 0-0 4, Beverly 1-1 0-0 3, Casey 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 34-70 8-13 85.

INDIANA (23-12): Jackson-Davis 7-10 9-11 23, Kopp 3-7 0-0 8, Thompson 5-12 0-0 11, Galloway 3-5 0-3 8, Hood-Schifino 8-22 0-0 19, Bates 0-7 0-0 0, Reneau 0-0 0-0 0, Banks 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-63 9-14 69.

Halftime—Miami 40-35. 3-Point Goals_Miami 9-23 (Wong 4-6, Joseph 2-4, Pack 2-8, Beverly 1-1, Miller 0-1, Walker 0-1, Poplar 0-2), Indiana 8-26 (Hood-Schifino 3-11, Galloway 2-3, Kopp 2-5, Thompson 1-3, Bates 0-4). Rebounds_Miami 45 (Omier 17), Indiana 29 (Jackson-Davis 8). Assists_Miami 14 (Joseph 5), Indiana 10 (Hood-Schifino 3). Total Fouls_Miami 13, Indiana 14.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana basketball loses to Miami in NCAA tournament second round