Indiana University Athletics
HOOSIERS BEAT NOTRE DAME IN OVERTIME
12/1/1998 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HOOSIERS BEAT NOTRE DAME IN OVERTIME
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- Indiana, which usually thrives at the foul line, almost lost a game Tuesday night because of poor free-throw shooting.
The No. 16 Hoosiers, who were shooting 72 percent from the line this season, missed nine of 15 free throws over the last eight minutes in a 76 72 overtime victory over Notre Dame.
"It was just concentration. I mean, your legs get tired and you've got to be able to concentrate better than that," said the Hoosiers' best foul shooter, A.J. Guyton, who scored 17 points but didn't attempt a single free throw.
Luke Recker scored 27 points for Indiana (7-1), which shot only 55 percent (15-of-27) from the line. The poor foul shooting hurt the Hoosiers the most in the final 2:30 of regulation.
The Hoosiers led 64-61 after William Gladness missed one of two foul shots. Freshman Jarrad Odle missed two more, and then Notre Dame (2-5) tied the game after Antoni Wyche hit all three of his free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt with less than two minutes to play.
Michael Lewis and Odle each went 1-for-2 from the line as Indiana took a 66-64 lead before Jimmy Dillon sent the game into overtime with an off balance, one-handed shot in the lane.
"It is tough to let a game get away in regulation and then still win in overtime," Indiana coach Bob Knight said. "We did a good job winning the game in overtime. I was pleased with our ability to come back."
The Hoosiers then shot 2-for-6 from the line in the final 80 seconds of overtime before escaping with the win.
"Indiana is a tremendous basketball team ... they should be ranked higher than they are," said Notre Dame coach John MacLeod, who lost to Indiana in overtime for the second time in three years. "It's not easy to guard Guyton or Recker. They move so well without the ball and use the screen to get open."
Notre Dame led by 11 points in the second half before Indiana rallied to take a 48-47 lead onLewis' 3-pointer with 10 minutes left. The Irish took a six-point lead three minutes later before the Hoosiers answered with an 11-7 run during which Recker scored seven points.
Dane Fife scored 13 points for Indiana.
The Irish were led by Troy Murphy's 23 points and 16 rebounds, while Antoni Wyche and Harold Swanagan scored 11 points apiece.
The Hoosiers trailed at halftime for the fourth time this season after
Notre Dame closed the period with an 11-2 run, including five points from
Murphy. The freshman finished with 11 points and seven rebounds in the first
half.
© Indiana University Athletics, 1998
