Indiana's second-half surge helps Hoosiers cruise past Iowa 95-73
WASHINGTON -- Too many times this season, Indiana took good shots that ended up hitting nothing but rim.
All that changed against Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament.
James Blackmon Jr. and the Hoosiers fired away effectively from long range, and Indiana used a huge second half to notch a 95-73 victory Thursday night.
The 10th-seeded Hoosiers will next face second-seeded Wisconsin in the quarterfinals Friday night. Indiana was 3-10 in the Big Ten Tournament over the previous 10 years.
The Hoosiers shot a blistering 60 percent from the floor and went 12 for 20 from behind the arc -- including 6 for 8 after halftime.
"We're making shots that we have at times missed this year," coach Tom Crean said. "But it was never a question that we were not a good shooting team. It's a matter of making sure that the ball is moving."
Oh, the ball was moving all right. Around the perimeter and then to the bottom of the net.
Indiana (18-14) used the 3-pointer to turn a close game into a rout. It was 48-all before Blackmon, Devonte Green and Josh Newkirk combined to connect five times from behind the arc during a 30-11 blitz.
"A lot of different people were making 3s," Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. "You got to give them credit. They were moving the ball. They played in and out. They shared it."
Blackmon scored 23 points and De'Ron Davis added 15. Seven different players scored at least eight points.
"We're getting a lot of open shots," guard Robert Johnson said. "Guys are sharing the ball, getting each other shots where they're comfortable."
Jordan Bohannon led seventh-seeded Iowa (18-14) with 24 points and 10 assists. The Hawkeyes entered the tournament with a four-game winning streak, including victories over Indiana, Maryland and Wisconsin.
"Obviously today we didn't play that well," said All-Big Ten guard Peter Jok, who was limited to nine points on 4-for-11 shooting. "But credit to them. They were really locked in."
Iowa trailed only 43-40 at halftime but was outscored 52-33 over the final 20 minutes.
"They started hitting shots, they got hot like they normally do," Hawkeyes freshman Cordell Pemsl said. "They go on streaks. We kind of answered those in the first half and kept it within a reasonable margin going into halftime."
Indiana went 16 for 30 from the floor and overcame nine turnovers in taking a narrow lead at the break.
The Hoosiers trailed 19-17 before Johnson nailed back-to-back 3-pointers. Long jumpers by Green and Curtis Jones capped a 12-0 run.
Bohannon scored 15 points, all on shots from beyond the arc, and Isaiah Moss had five steals to keep the Hawkeyes close.
Then came the second half.
BIG PICTURE
Indiana: The Hoosiers put a positive spin on a disappointing season with a rare blowout victory. If Indiana can carry the momentum to a victory over the No. 2 seeded Badgers, it could change its status of being on the bubble.
UP NEXT
Indiana: The Hoosiers went 0-2 against Wisconsin this season.
