Zach Osterman

zach.osterman@indystar.com

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Indiana’s injury problems appear to have deepened Wednesday night, perhaps significantly.

Already without Juwan Morgan because of an unspecified ankle/foot injury, IU lost fellow sophomore forward OG Anunoby late in the first half at Penn State. Anunoby was crashing down into the lane on offense, and his knee or ankle appeared on replay to give way as he attempted to plant his right leg. He finished the half curled up in obvious pain under IU’s basket. He was attended to by Indiana’s traveling medical staff, with coach Tom Crean kneeling next to him, before Morgan and strength and conditioning coach Lyonel Anderson helped Anunoby off the floor during the break.

Crean didn't have a firm update on Anunoby's health immediately following Indiana's 78-75 win. But he admitted during his postgame interview with the Big Ten Network that "there were a lot of tears" in IU's locker room at halftime.

"Nobody knew what was going on with one of their fallen brothers," Crean, choking up, told BTN's Stephen Bardo. "And I had to leave a guy that was crying, so that wasn't easy. But we found a way to win the game. I was proud of them for that."

Speaking with the media after the game, Crean wouldn't elaborate on the injury itself, or what Anunoby might have communicated about how it occurred.

"We talked through as much as he knew," Crean said. "Our biggest concern right now is the doctor, the trainer can do anything they need to do at this point."

One of an emotional evening's stranger moments came immediately following Anunoby's injury.

As Penn State players and coaches walked by Anunoby off the floor at halftime, one of the Nittany Lions' assistants appeared to have words with Crean. Indiana's entire team had rushed over to that side of the floor to check on Anunoby, instead of exiting the court at the other end, toward where the Hoosiers' locker room was.

Crean said postgame that the Penn State coach apologized to one of IU's assistants — from press row, it appeared to be Chuck Martin — and said he didn't realize IU had an injured player down injured. It wasn't clear which coach Crean exchanged words with, although it wasn't Nittany Lions head coach Pat Chambers.

"He told me he later apologized to one of our coaches," Crean said. "In defense of him, I don’t think he knew we had a player injured."

A potential lottery pick as a sophomore, Anunoby has alternated between starting and playing from the bench this season. He replaced Morgan in the starting lineup on Wednesday, because of Morgan’s injury, suffered last weekend against Rutgers. Speaking on his pregame radio show, Crean characterized Morgan’s injury as day-to-day.

Anunoby entered play Wednesday averaging 11.4 points and 5.6 points per game.

IU freshman De'Ron Davis went down with an apparent ankle injury in the second half as he scrambled for a loose ball, but he returned a few minutes later.

Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.