So as expected, the Hoosiers pulled off the big win 76-47 after an exceedingly slow start. Led by Cody Zeller with 16 points, three Hoosiers scored in double-digits with three more within two points. Senior Christian Watford also pulled down 11 rebounds to go with his 13 points, and Victor Oladipo came close to the double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds. But this game was not always as certain as the final score would make it seem.
In the first half, Nebraska ran their defense almost to perfection, holding the Hoosiers to 27 points on 32% field goal shooting and 29% three-point. The one thing the Cornhuskers just couldn't quite master was avoiding fouls. Both Brandon Ubel and Andre Almeida committed 3 fouls in the first 20 minutes, severely shortening the Nebraska lineup. All of these fouls resulted in the Hoosiers going to the line 16 times, hitting 13 of them. It didn't, however, cause as much trouble as it should have, as Cody was saddled with his own foul troubles as well, playing only 18 minutes in the entire game.
As well as Nebraska played on defense in the first half, they couldn't get anything going on the offensive side, scoring only 18 points. They shot a decent-for-opponents-at-Assembly-Hall 42%, but went 0-8 from three point land. They also only went to the free throw line four times. What really caused the Cornhuskers to struggle was their 10 turnovers at the half, which is about how many times they give the ball up in the entire game, and they just weren't able to ever get into sync.
The second half was all Indiana. The Hoosiers poured in 49 points, scoring more in the half than Nebraska did in the entire game. A big part of this came from some incredible three-point shooting, hitting 6-9 from deep. They also got to the free throw line another 13 times, hitting 11, while only sending Nebraska seven times. After scoring only three first-half points, Cody was able to add 13 in the second half. Most importantly, the Hoosiers played with much more energy in the second half and looked much more like the top team in the country. As long as they can continue to play like that, they will be tough to beat.
A byproduct of such a great second half was that many of IU's role players were able to get some good minutes. Will Sheehey, who averages starter's minutes anyway, nine points and four rebounds. Mo Creek hit his first three-pointer since the beginning of January and pulled down two rebounds in his 13 minutes. Remy Abell was also able to break out of his shooting slump, scoring six points in 12 minutes. Derek Elston and Jeremy Hollowell each also contributed valuable time, playing almost 10 minutes. Even when they were not on the court, the benchmob found a fun way to get involved.
The first half of the IU vs Nebraska game was another example of the Hoosiers playing down to the level of their competition, but the second half was a show of what can happen when this team plays at its usual level. The positive note is that many of the remaining games for the Hoosiers are against high-level opponents, hopefully meaning they should play at their best.
Hoosier Highlights:
Jordy - Jordy scored 8 points against Nebraska, putting him at 1,238 in his career. He is now two points away from Dick Van Arsdale and 14 away from Tom Van Arsdale.
Cody - Cody's 16 points put him at 975 in his career and only 25 from 1,000.
Victor - Vic's 13 points put him at 983 in his career, putting him 17 away from the 1,000-point club. He also grabbed 3 steals, giving him 59 on the season and moving him into 4th place on the all-time Hoosier season list. He needs three steals to move into 3rd place with Isiah Thomas. Vic is also up to 142 steals in his career, which puts him in 5th place all-time with Mike Woodson. He needs six steals to move into 4th place with Alan Henderson.
Image from iuhoosiers.com
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