They may not have made it easy on themselves, but when Peter Jok's game tying three pointer clanked off the rim as the buzzer sounded, the Indiana Hoosiers were outright Big Ten champions.

The Iowa Hawkeyes were down as much as 14 points and had a chance to tie it at the end, but just like they have all season long, the Hoosiers found a way to win.

Hoosiers Had It Going Early

Indiana came out hot in this game from the field and were doing most of their damage from behind the arc. At one point in the first half they were 7-of-8 from distance and that was what had them going. They took their first lead of the game at 14-12 with 15:02 in the first half and kept their foot on the accelerator.

Playing on the road in a hostile environment like Iowa can be daunting especially with a Big Ten title hanging over your head, but that didn't seem to phase Hoosiers. They just kept making shots and finished the night 51 percent from the field.

AP Photo
AP Photo

It wasn't from just one guy either, it was a complete team effort with four Hoosiers scoring in double figures. One of the issues the Hoosiers had to brush to the side, however, was foul trouble as that really started to stack up on them, but they just kept pushing ahead.

The offense came basically in two facets. It was either from behind the arc or in the paint with Thomas Bryant who finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds. But, that recipe was working for the Hoosiers as a Nick Zeisloft three pointer with two seconds to play in the first half had Indiana up 47-41 at halftime.

Indiana Isn't Running Away, Right?

The Hoosiers came out of the halftime break and carried that momentum from the Zeisloft three ball right into the second half. A 13-5 run in the first five and a half minutes had Indiana out in front and they seemed poised to run away with it.

Their lead got out 14 and fluctuated between 10 and 14 points for quite awhile as the Hoosiers were pouring it on, but Iowa had an answer and the Hoosiers were once again in for a tight one.

USA TODAY
USA TODAY

When Troy Williams, who finished with 15 points, hit a three pointer with 12:28 to play, Indiana had a good grip on the game up 14, but from there, Iowa ripped off a 17-3 run to knot it up at 70 a piece with 6:20 to play. 

That run was the Jarrod Uthoff and Nicholas Baer show as they combined for 15 of the 17 points during that stretch, and all of a sudden we had a ballgame again. Uthoff may not of had the best shooting night as he was just 5-for-18, but still finished with a team high 18 points.

Hoosiers Close It Out

That 17-3 run by Iowa included an 11-0 stretch, but Indiana wasn't backing down from the challenge down the stretch.

When his team needed his efforts most, senior guard Yogi Ferrell stepped up in a big, big way. A Ferrell layup that was apart of his game high 20 points ended the big Hawkeyes run with 5:47 to play, and from there it swung back and forth. Both teams were taking punches each way until Ferrell stepped up with one of the biggest shots of the season for Indiana.

USA TODAY
USA TODAY

It was late in the shot clock and just under 40 seconds to play. Ferrell knew he had to do something and did as he rose up from behind the arc and drilled a three with 37 seconds left to give Indiana a five point lead. It seemed at the time like the dagger, but Indiana didn't quite close out Iowa like they may have wanted to.

Anthony Clemmons nailed a three to add to his 14 point performance with nine seconds left and there was a glimmer of hope. An Indiana turnover gave the Hawkeyes one last chance, but it just wasn't meant to be on this night for Iowa.

This Team Is "Special"

Yogi Ferrell has been referring to this team as "special" all season long, and we are seeing that come to fruition before our eyes. When this team started off 5-3, many pundits were saying that this team had no shot to even be close to where they are now, but now they have finished off an outright Big Ten title.

USA TODAY
USA TODAY

The loss at Penn State hurt, the loss at Michigan State hurt even more, but coach Tom Crean and the senior leaders on this team had a goal that they wanted to accomplish, and they don't seem like they are backing down now.

There is still a lot more basketball to play, but this regular season Big Ten title has to taste pretty sweet especially on the road at Iowa who have now lost four straight.

What's Next?

Indiana returns home to face Maryland on Sunday while Iowa travels to Michigan on Saturday night to close out the regular season.

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About the author
Josh Eastern
I live in Seattle, Washington and attend Indiana University as a journalism major. You can follow me on Twitter (@JoshEastern) and feel free to email me at [email protected] with any questions/thoughts.