Hoosiers win at Michigan

February 20, 2005

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Hoosiers used the 3-pointer and some clutch free throw shooting down the stretch to pick up a 70-63 victory over Michigan in Crisler Arena. IU hit a season-high 14 3-point field goals in the victory. The Cream and Crimson improved to 12-11 overall and 7-5 in the Big Ten, while Michigan dropped its 10th straight game falling to 12-15 overall and 3-9 in conference action.

The 14 treys are the most for the Hoosiers since hitting 15 in an Elite Eight victory over Kent State on March 23, 2002. Freshman Robert Vaden led the way for the Hoosiers with a career-high 18 points on 6-of-11 from the field, including four 3-pointers. Junior guard Marshall Strickland added a season-high 14 points, including four threes to go along with five assists.

The game was a stark difference from where the Hoosiers entered the contest. Indiana was shooting 30.2 percent (114-of-378) from 3-point range and 46.4 percent (355-of-765) from inside the arc on the season coming into the game. Against the Wolverines, the Hoosiers shot 61 percent (14-of-23) from behind the arc and only 30.4 percent (7-of-23) from 2-point range. The Hoosiers bench finished with 21 points on the afternoon, the second most on the season behind the 27 off the pine against Minnesota.

Freshmen A.J. Ratliff and D.J. White rounded at the Hoosiers' double-digit scorers. Ratliff added 11 points, while White had 10, all in the second half. After only scoring eight points all season, sophomore guard Errek Suhr notched career-highs with nine points on 3-of-4 from shooting 3-point range and four rebounds.

After Michigan took its biggest lead of the first half at 12-7 on a 3-point play by sophomore guard John Andrews with 14:46 remaining, the Hoosiers went on a 12-0 run. Indiana used the 3-pointer to its advantage hitting four on the run with two from Ratliff and a one each from Vaden and Suhr.

Another Vaden 3-pointer with 10:28 remaining pushed the Hoosier lead to its largest at 22-14 in the opening 20 minutes. The Indianapolis, Ind., native scored 11 points in the first half of play, hitting three from behind the arc.

Michigan then scored five straight points to cut the IU advantage to three at 22-19. A sophomore center Courtney Sims jumper in the lane tied the score at 27 with 4:49 remaining. Strickland would respond with a trey less than 40 seconds later, but the Wolverines would get a pair of free throws from sophomore guard Dion Harris and junior center Chris Hunter to take a 31-30 lead into the half.

Indiana hit only one shot inside the 3-point arc in the first half. A leaning jumper by Vaden as the shot clock expired with 7:38 remaining in the opening half was the only 2-pointer of the half.

The Maize and Blue opened the second half with an 8-2 run to open up its largest lead at 39-32. Harris opened the stanza with a 3-pointer from the left wing, and freshman guard Ron Colman capped the run with one of his four threes on the day.

The Hoosiers would chip away at the lead before regaining the advantage on a Strickland 3-pointer. The trey with 7:59 remaining pushed the Cream and Crimson on top 51-50.

The two teams would trade buckets before Harris put Michigan up 58-57 with 4:31 remaining. The sophomore guard hit a leaning jumper and converted the 3-point play following the foul on Strickland.

Strickland would respond with a 3-pointer of his own from the top of the key. The trey gave the Hoosiers the lead for good at 60-58 and started an 8-0 run that pushed the IU advantage to 65-58 with under a minute to go.

Michigan would get as close as three, 66-63, with 14.7 seconds left on a follow up basket from junior forward Graham Brown. The Hoosiers would hit 8-of-10 free throws over the final two minutes to ice the victory.

Junior guard Bracey Wright returned the starting line up after missing three games with an ankle injury. Wright finished with seven points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes of action. He struggled from the field shooting just 1-of-8.

The Hoosiers will return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 22, when they host archrival Purdue. Game time is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN. The game can also be heard on the IU Radio Network with Don Fischer (play-by-play), Todd Leary (analysis) and Joe Smith (pre-game, halftime, post game) on the call.

The IU-Purdue match up will also have a half point up for grabs in the Crimson and Gold Cup presented by Simon Malls. The Hoosiers currently lead the 2004-05 all sports race, 5.5-4.

Indiana University Athletics

February 20, 2005

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Players Mentioned

A.J. Ratliff

A.J. Ratliff

Marshall Strickland

Marshall Strickland

Marshall Strickland

Marshall Strickland

Errek Suhr

Errek Suhr

Errek Suhr

Errek Suhr

Robert Vaden

Robert Vaden

D.J. White

Bracey Wright

Bracey Wright

Bracey Wright

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