BLOOMINGTON – After his team’s double-digit loss to Nebraska on Dec. 13, Indiana basketball coach Mike Woodson emphasized the need for the Hoosiers to start games with more defensive intensity.

If that was a focus over the next eight days leading up to Saturday’s game against Chattanooga, the early results didn’t indicate it. Chattanooga countered and shot into an early lead, sending the crowd at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall into stunned silence.

The Hoosiers were the more active team, however, with a spirited second-half performance that led to a 74-65 win.

While it may not have been the performance we were hoping for, there are three reasons why Indiana (9-3) won.