Thursday, February 11
Bloomington, IN
9:00 PM
Indiana University
20-5, 10-2
85
vs
78
Iowa
19-5, 10-2
1
2
F
Iowa
38
40
78
Indiana
45
40
85
Indiana Takes Down No. 4 Iowa 85-78
2/11/2016 11:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - As Jarrod Uthoff's 3-point try in the dying seconds of Indiana's 85-78 upset victory over No. 4 Iowa harmlessly caromed away, sophomore guard Robert Johnson turned toward his bench and raised his right fist in the air.
It was a subtle celebration, more a gesture of relief than anything else.
Johnson's Hoosiers survived the ebbs and flows of a game that transitioned from a seemingly runaway victory turned collapse, climaxing in a seven-point signature victory the program lacked.
If there was ever any doubt, the Hoosiers have arrived.
"This can just propel us to our ultimate goal," senior guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell said, "which is a Big Ten championship."
A home win in early February won't do that alone, but it does bring Indiana (20-5, 10-2) closer while adding a marquee victory to its resume. The players who had time and time again fielded questions about who they've beaten—or rather, who they hadn't beaten—will have less of that in the coming weeks.
Top-five teams don't go down by accident.
"I think it's just another great experience," head coach Tom Crean said.
The Hoosiers' lead ballooned to as many as 16 points with six minutes remaining before halftime, when junior forward Collin Hartman blocked Uthoff's dunk attempt off the glass and converted on a 3-pointer in transition just six seconds later. The capacity Assembly Hall crowd came to life with the Hoosiers showing no sign of slowing down.
Until they did.
The visitors scored baskets on 13 consecutive possessions to all but erase Indiana's lead.
Iowa (19-5, 10-2) began the second half in much the same way it ended the first, climbing even with Indiana before forcing Crean to call a timeout. The Hawkeyes' stifling defense engulfed the Hoosiers' free-flowing offense that overwhelmed them through the first 15 minutes of the game.
Not wanting his players to fall victim to Iowa's surging momentum, Crean took any opportunity he could to instill confidence in his players. He strayed away from the sideline often, staying alongside his team's huddle and offering encouragement until play began.
"We're going to win this game, we're going to win this game," Crean told his players.
Their confidence never waned.
"It wasn't going to be good if it wasn't real," Crean said. "You've got to keep encouraging them to believe they're going to get it done."
Ferrell finished the game with 14 points on just 2-of-12 shooting in an outing Crean compared to a similar game earlier in the season against Notre Dame, when Ferrell scored just eight points. Crean said he saw a desire and intensity in Ferrell's play down the stretch that pushed them over the edge.
Elsewhere, four other Hoosiers finished with double-digit scoring. Seven players registered seven points or more, and all 10 players who checked into the game scored a basket.
"It was kind of like they couldn't key in on one guy, basically," Ferrell said. "Everybody has strengths and everybody played to their strengths."
The road through the Big Ten won't get any less stressful for the Hoosiers. They'll travel to East Lansing to face No. 8 Michigan State Sunday afternoon—a matchup Crean mentioned in his opening statement Thursday night.
"It only gets easier," Crean deadpanned.
"But this was a big step for us tonight."
It was a subtle celebration, more a gesture of relief than anything else.
Johnson's Hoosiers survived the ebbs and flows of a game that transitioned from a seemingly runaway victory turned collapse, climaxing in a seven-point signature victory the program lacked.
If there was ever any doubt, the Hoosiers have arrived.
"This can just propel us to our ultimate goal," senior guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell said, "which is a Big Ten championship."
A home win in early February won't do that alone, but it does bring Indiana (20-5, 10-2) closer while adding a marquee victory to its resume. The players who had time and time again fielded questions about who they've beaten—or rather, who they hadn't beaten—will have less of that in the coming weeks.
Top-five teams don't go down by accident.
"I think it's just another great experience," head coach Tom Crean said.
The Hoosiers' lead ballooned to as many as 16 points with six minutes remaining before halftime, when junior forward Collin Hartman blocked Uthoff's dunk attempt off the glass and converted on a 3-pointer in transition just six seconds later. The capacity Assembly Hall crowd came to life with the Hoosiers showing no sign of slowing down.
Until they did.
The visitors scored baskets on 13 consecutive possessions to all but erase Indiana's lead.
Iowa (19-5, 10-2) began the second half in much the same way it ended the first, climbing even with Indiana before forcing Crean to call a timeout. The Hawkeyes' stifling defense engulfed the Hoosiers' free-flowing offense that overwhelmed them through the first 15 minutes of the game.
Not wanting his players to fall victim to Iowa's surging momentum, Crean took any opportunity he could to instill confidence in his players. He strayed away from the sideline often, staying alongside his team's huddle and offering encouragement until play began.
"We're going to win this game, we're going to win this game," Crean told his players.
Their confidence never waned.
"It wasn't going to be good if it wasn't real," Crean said. "You've got to keep encouraging them to believe they're going to get it done."
Ferrell finished the game with 14 points on just 2-of-12 shooting in an outing Crean compared to a similar game earlier in the season against Notre Dame, when Ferrell scored just eight points. Crean said he saw a desire and intensity in Ferrell's play down the stretch that pushed them over the edge.
Elsewhere, four other Hoosiers finished with double-digit scoring. Seven players registered seven points or more, and all 10 players who checked into the game scored a basket.
"It was kind of like they couldn't key in on one guy, basically," Ferrell said. "Everybody has strengths and everybody played to their strengths."
The road through the Big Ten won't get any less stressful for the Hoosiers. They'll travel to East Lansing to face No. 8 Michigan State Sunday afternoon—a matchup Crean mentioned in his opening statement Thursday night.
"It only gets easier," Crean deadpanned.
"But this was a big step for us tonight."
Team Stats
IOWA
IND
FG%
.460
.460
3FG%
.389
.360
FT%
.565
.857
RB
35
39
TO
9
11
STL
6
7
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
14
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
8
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
Forward
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