Indiana University Athletics
IU Falls At No. 1/1 Illinois
2/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
February 6, 2005
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Playing without junior guard and leading scorer Bracey Wright, the Indiana Hoosiers dropped a 60-47 match up against consensus No. 1 Illinois. The Hoosier freshmen led the way, while the Hoosier defense turned in another solid performance, holding Illini blew their averages. The Hoosiers dropped to 10-10 overall and 5-4 in the Big Ten, while the Illini improved to 23-0 overall and 9-0 in conference action.Indiana turned in a stellar effort defensively by holding Illinois to a season-low 60 points, 21 points below their season average. IU also held the Illini to 43 percent shooting, including 25 percent from beyond the arc. Those percentages compared to season averages of 50.1 from the field and 40.9 from behind the arch for the Illini. Illinois' trio of guards Dee Brown, Deron Williams and Luther Head came in averaging a combined 43 points per game, and IU held them to 26. The total was their lowest combined output of the season for the Illini backcourt.
The Hoosiers were led by freshmen Robert Vaden and D.J. White. The duo scored 12 points each in the defeat. Junior guard Marshall Strickland had seven points, while freshman forward James Hardy scored six points in his first career start. Freshman A.J. Ratliff, White and Vaden led the Hoosiers with five rebounds apiece.
With freshman James Hardy, A.J. Ratliff, Robert Vaden and D.J. White in the starting line up against Illinois, the Hoosiers started four freshman for the first time since Feb. 25, 1990 at Michigan State. IU started freshmen Calbert Cheaney, Greg Graham, Matt Nover and Chris Lawson in a 72-66 loss to the 15th-ranked Spartans.
The first half was definitely a tale of two 10 minutes. In the opening 10 minutes of play, the Illini came out running to a 20-3 lead to open the ballgame. The Fighting Illini hit 7-of-14 in the opening 10 minutes, while turning the ball over only once. The Hoosiers, by comparison, were only one-of-10 from the field with six turnovers.
IU owned the second 10 minutes by closing the gap to 26-20 at the half. Indiana closed the half hitting seven of its final 11 shots, while the Illini were only three-of-10 with four turnovers.
Junior center James Augustine scored eight of Illinois' first 10 points as they opened up a 10-1 lead with 13:55 remaining in the first half. After sophomore forward Pat Ewing, Jr. cut the advantage to 10-3 with a lay up, the Illini scored the next 10 points to open up a 20-3 lead. The Illini had seven assists, all coming from Williams, on their first seven field goals. Williams finished the game with 11 assists.
The Hoosiers finished on a 17-6 run to close the lead to 26-20 at the half. After falling behind by 17, IU scored eight straight points to draw within single digits at 20-11. White scored on a vintage three-point play. The freshman went up between two Illinois' defenders getting the hoop and the foul. Strickland nailed a trey from the right wing before White ended the run with a follow-up after Strickland missed from behind the arc.
After senior forward Jack Ingram pushed the Illini lead back to double digits at 26-16 with 1:57 remaining, the Hoosiers scored the final four points of the half. Vaden found Strickland on a baseline drive for a reverse lay up, and he found White for a 12-foot baseline jumper as time expired.
Illinois opened the second stanza with a 13-2. Brown capped the run with a pair of deep 3-poiners to push the advantage to 39-22 with 15:44 remaining.
The Hoosier defense would stiffen after an Augustine lay up with 14:38 remaining. Indiana would hold the Illini without a field goal over the next seven minutes. The Hoosiers would outscore the Illini 9-2 over the span with the lone Illinois' points coming in a pair of Head free throws.
IU cut the lead to 10 at 43-33 on a tip-in by Vaden with 7:50 remaining, but Illinois was able to end its field goal drought with a jumper by Head from the right wing.
The Hoosiers will have a week off before taking on Minnesota in the Assembly Hall. Indiana will take on the Golden Gophers on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 3:01 p.m. on ESPN-Plus. The game can also be heard on the IU Radio Network with Don Fischer (p-b-p), Todd Leary (analysis) and Joe Smith (pre game, halftime, post game) on the call.
