Freshman Jared Jeffries shines in preseason game

Interim head coach Mike Davis has said many times that Jared Jeffries is a good basketball player who will contribute a great many things to this year's team. Jeffries lived up to the billing Sunday as he led IU to an 84-74 victory against Athletes in Action.\nJeffries, a freshman forward, scored the first points of the game on a three-pointer from the right side, then quieted down and made only one basket in the rest of the half. When Kirk Haston made a pair of free throws eight minutes into the game, he finished off a 14-2 run and gave IU a 20-point lead.\n "The reason why we lost is because we got down by 20 points," said Athletes in Action coach Chuck Badger. "Indiana was just hitting everything."\n The Hoosiers built the lead by forcing four turnovers, running the fast break and executing its offense. Athletes in Action responded by going on a 27-11 run and closing the lead to four points. Ronnie Grandison led the comeback by scoring eight points.\n "We just relaxed and they were able to get into a rhythm," said junior guard Dane Fife, who had four points and four assists in the first half. "They gave us a good game."\n IU held a 41-37 lead at halftime. Junior forward Jarrad Odle scored 11 points in the half.\n Jeffries took matters into his own hands in the second half as he scored 22 points in the final 20 minutes.\n "I made an adjustment where I said, 'Let's get the ball inside to Jared and get him going," Davis said. "He scored a basket, and from that point on he started playing."\nJeffries made eight of 11 shots from the field and 10 of 11 from the free throw line.\n"He plays like an experienced player," Badger said. "Coach Davis has done a great job of getting players into positions where they can do something, and that's what he did with Jeffries."\nAt 6-foot-9 he causes matchup problems for opponents because of his ability to handle the ball. He scored from inside the paint and out on the perimeter. He even played point guard Sunday.\n"I like having the ball in my hands," Jeffries said. "I like being able to shoot."\nIU extended its lead to 12 points when Jeffries made a layup with 14:29 remaining. But Athletes in Action wouldn't go away. They chipped away at the lead with an 11-4 run late in the half and cut the lead to three with 2:36 on the clock.\n"Our guys did a great job of fighting back," Badger said.\nAthletes in Action switched to a full-court press defense in the final minutes but IU was able to escape and the Hoosiers made their final eight free throws, making the team 37 of 40 in the game.\nSophomore forward Jeffrey Newton, who scored 14 points, was satisfied with the Hoosiers' effort Sunday, but pointed out that there is plenty of room for improvement.\n"We executed pretty well in the first half," Newton said. "We had a good effort but we have to keep up the intensity"