Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Nicholls State
Hoosiers Trounce Colonels, 99-65, in Season Opener
11/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 18, 2005
Box Score | Photo Gallery
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The 2005-06 Indiana men's basketball season officially got underway Friday evening with the Hoosiers' 99-65 victory over Nicholls State. Led by senior Marco Killingsworth's first double-double as a Hoosier and career nights from senior Marshall Strickland and junior Errek Suhr, IU begins the season 1-0 for the sixth time in head coach Mike Davis' career.
For the game, Killingsworth recorded a career-high 28 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Strickland, who was 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, tallied a career-high 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field, to go along with his five rebounds and two assists in his first game of his final season. Suhr enjoyed a career night with 11 points on 3-of-3 from 3-point range and eight rebounds.
Ignited by Killingsworth's three-point play, followed by the 6-8 forward's fake behind the back pass for the lay up, the Hoosiers went on a 9-0 run just before the midway mark of the first half. Pulling away after three pointers from seniors Lewis Monroe and Strickland, the Hoosiers maintained the lead through the half. Killingsworth's block with 3:50 left in the half set up a pair of back-to-back three-pointers from Suhr to raise the IU advantage to 45-35.
Out scoring the Colonels 52-42 in the first half, Strickland led the half in scoring with 18 buckets, while Killingsworth netted 15 points and pulled down eight boards on his way to a double-double. Additionally, Strickland was nearly perfect in the first half, shooting 6-of-7 from the field and 3-of-3 from both the free-throw line and from behind the arc. Combined, Indiana overwhelmingly outrebounded Nicholls State, 28-12 at the halfway mark.
The second half opened with 13 consecutive points for IU, including a dunk from senior Sean Kline and a three-pointer from Killingsworth, forcing Nicholls State to call timeout. Sophomore Robert Vaden increased the Hoosier lead by five after an open jumper followed by a three-pointer to put IU up 75-53 with 11 minutes remaining in the game. Indiana impressed fans with huge blocks from junior Earl Calloway and Killingsworth, coupled with a long three-pointer from Suhr with just under three minutes left in regulation, en route to the 34-point win. With seconds remaining, sophomore Adam Ahlfeld netted his first career points with a pair of free throws before finding redshirt freshman Kyle Taber, who saw action for the first time in his career, under the basket for the layup. The Hoosier defense held the Colonials scoreless for the final five minutes of the game.
A total of five Hoosiers, Killingsworth, Kline, Monroe, Strickland and Suhr, scored in double figures. Indiana shot 54 percent from the field and dominated the boards with 55 total rebounds to Nicholls State's 21.
IU returns to Branch McCracken court at Assembly Hall on Monday night to face Florida A&M. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m., and will be televised on ESPN-Plus and can be heard statewide on the IU Radio Network.
