BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Mike Woodson can now scratch Iowa off the list of Big Ten teams he’s never beaten as a head coach.

Woodson’s Hoosiers on Tuesday snapped a three-game losing skid against the Hawkeyes, 74-68. The Hoosiers’ eight 3s were a major response to last Saturday’s shooting struggles that cost them an upset win at No. 10 Illinois.

“We haven’t beaten (Iowa) since I’ve been here,” the Hoosiers head coach said following the win. “(Iowa head coach) Fran (McCaffery) has kind of had his way with his ball club, always a well-coached, and they get after you, boy. But I just thought we withstood it coming down the home stretch and were able to make the plays to win the game.”

The Hoosiers didn’t make a single 3-pointer in Champaign, making it the first time in 14 years IU had no triples in a game. It was clear that that resonated with the Hoosiers, who came out draining five 3s in the first 12 minutes against the Hawkeyes.

Freshman Mackenzie Mgbako made the first two, which were met with massive cheers from a full Assembly Hall crowd. Add another couple from Anthony Leal, and the Hoosiers found themselves with a 15-point advantage not even halfway through the first half.

In addition to the Hoosiers’ reinvigorated perimeter shooting, the return of big man Kel’el Ware — who missed the games at No. 11 Wisconsin and No. 10 Illinois with a sprained ankle — was a key factor in the Hoosiers win. Ware racked up 12 points in the first half alone, helping the Hoosiers climb to a 39-28 lead at the break.

The first half lead didn’t come without sacrifice. IU starting forward Malik Reneau left the game in visible pain within the first five minutes. He’s being evaluated for a lower body injury and returned to the sidelines with crutches for the second half.

McCaffery’s Hawkeyes didn’t lay down after a dominant Hoosier first half. A 17-5 run erased IU’s lead, tying the game at 49 with 10:22 left in the game. Nine of those 17 points were thanks to Indianapolis-native and former Lawrence North standout Tony Perkins, who finished the game with 22 points.

Iowa took its first lead of the second half with 8:43 on the clock after a costly Trey Galloway turnover turned into a 3-point play for Josh Dix. From there, the game went back-and-forth.

Another key injury plagued the Hoosiers with four minutes left in the game when Johnson went down with a scream. Woodson said after the game that he wasn’t sure the severity of Johnson’s injury and that he hopes to have him back soon.

The Hoosiers found themselves down two with less than 90 seconds left. A Gabe Cupps 3 followed by yet-another Ware dunk secured the win for Indiana.

Ware’s triumphant return saw him score a team-best 23 points and 10 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season.

“We needed him back in the worst way,” Woodson said. “Games like this, it’s huge for our ball club. We were missing just his length and ability to block shots. We just didn’t have it. It was nice having him back, man.”

Woodson and the rest of the Hoosiers loved seeing some emotion from the 7-foot Oregon transfer.

“The last couple games when he was out, it really took a toll on him, mentally and emotionally,” Leal said. “He loves us as teammates, and he wants to win more than anything, so it was nice to see him show some emotion.”

“That’s the thing we need from him,” Cupps said. “He’s obviously super talented, super skilled. A lot of people’s knock on him is that he’s not tough, and I think he shows it in spurts, but once he can be consistent in that, and he showed that tonight, he’s an unstoppable player.”

Up next, Indiana hosts Penn State on Saturday in Assembly Hall.