Indiana Basketball Wins 98-97 in Double Overtime at UCLA

When UCLA tied the game with seconds left after trailing by 10 points, Indiana's bench sat in disbelief watching their third straight win disappear.

But veteran Tucker DeVries had four words that changed everything: "Flush it. Next play." Those words became the rally cry that carried the Hoosiers through 10 minutes of overtime basketball and one of the most thrilling victories of their season.

The adversity kept mounting. Starting guard Conor Enright fouled out with 10 seconds left in regulation, leaving Indiana without a key ballhandler. Reed Bailey, who scored a season-high 24 points, fouled out in the first overtime and could only watch from the bench. The already thin roster was down to just eight players.

Yet every single one of those eight players contributed something vital. Nick Dorn went on fire in the second half, scoring 21 points to finish with 26. Lamar Wilkerson added 10 points across both overtime periods. Freshman Trent Sisley made the game-winning free throw with just 0.3 seconds remaining.

The Hoosiers trailed in the final minute of both overtime periods but never stopped fighting. They grabbed defensive rebounds, made clutch free throws, and played like their season depended on it even though the stakes weren't quite that high.

The victory marked Indiana's third road win in conference play against a UCLA team that was 12-0 at home. After the final buzzer, players embraced and walked to the locker room cheered on by Indiana fans who made the trip to Los Angeles.

Why This Inspires

This game revealed something special about this year's Indiana team. When things got tough, they didn't cave or point fingers. Instead, they leaned on each other and the bond they'd built together since early June.

"I feel like that just shows how connected we are as a team and how we're growing as a team," Dorn said after the game. Coach Darian DeVries praised his players for their guts and character, noting how they gave everything they had.

The win also bolstered Indiana's NCAA tournament hopes with a second quad-one victory in five days. But DeVries isn't looking that far ahead. His focus stays on what's directly in front of them: the next game against USC.

Now the Hoosiers face their biggest test yet: living up to their own mantra and flushing this incredible win to focus on the next play.