Indiana University Athletics
IU Exits Tourney with loss to Illinois
3/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 15, 2003
Chicago, Ill. - The Hoosiers bowed out of the Big Ten Tournament Saturday afternoon with a hard-fought, 73-72 loss to Illinois. The Illini are ranked 13th in the country and seeded second in the Big Ten Tournament. Behind 21 points from senior Tom Coverdale and a 16-point performance from freshman Bracey Wright, the Hoosiers overcame numerous deficits to make it a tight contest down the stretch. It marks the first time since Dec. 3, 2002 against Maryland that Coverdale has scored more than 20 points.
Freshman point guard Marshall Strickland left the game near the end of the first half after a collision with Illinois' Luther Head. He did not return for the Hoosiers as he ended with one basket from beyond the arc. It was a rough day for Indiana freshmen as Bracey Wright and Sean Harrington ran into each other and Wright left the court just before the half.
After the game, Wright said, "I don't really remember what happened. I remember that I ran into the back of his head and after that, my eyes started watering and I was sort of woozy. I didn't really know where I was for a second."
George Leach added 14 points for IU, despite remaining on the bench through the end of the game.
Illinois went on a 17-2 run to close the first half and take a 37-21 lead into the locker room. Indiana did not hit a field goal from the 6:20 mark of the first half on, when the score was 20-19 after a pair of George Leach free throws. Of those 17 Illinois points, eight came from Brian Cook while Luther Head added nine. Cook ended with 25 points while Head finished with 16 on the night.
It was the tale of two halves as Indiana outscored Illinois 51-36 in the second half and shot nearly 61 percent from the field in the second stanza to just 30 percent in the first, ending with a game total of 46 percent from the field.
The Hoosiers started the second half on a 6-0 run and pulled to within five points just eight minutes into the half. Illinois got to its largest lead of the second half with a 13 point advantage at the 7:30 mark, owning a 55-42 lead. With 2:53 left in the contest, the Illini held an 11-point advantage. Indiana went on a 9-1 run to pull within three points with 41 seconds to go. Coverdale hit two big three-point baskets down the stretch, but it was not enough as the Hoosiers ended down just one point.
Indiana will now wait for the NCAA Tournament selection show to be aired live Sunday, March 16 at 6 p.m. EST on CBS.
