Hoosiers come up short

TERRE HAUTE -- Interim head coach Mike Davis said he's been putting too much pressure on freshman forward Jared Jeffries and that he had unfair expectations for the former Bloomington North Star. But the entire game against Indiana State Wednesday fell on Jeffries' shoulders. \nHe heaved a shot from half court at the buzzer and it bounced off the backboard and rim before IU lost 59-58 to Indiana State before a sell-out crowd of 10,200 Wednesday at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute. \n"I just barely missed it," Jeffries said. "I wanted to shoot from that spot I shot from and I thought it was going to go in but it was a bit long." \nWith five seconds remaining in the game and IU ahead 58-56, ISU guard Michael Menser hit a three pointer to give the Sycamores the win. \nIt was only the second time the Hoosiers had lost to ISU since 1974, and Davis said it was especially disappointing since the Sycamores knocked IU out of the Ameritech/Indiana Classic last year. \n"It was just one or two stops down the stretch," Davis said. "We make one or two stops and we win and I go home happy. But there's a next time and there's a next game." \nThe Hoosiers were down 51-48 with 5:26 remaining in the second half when Jeffries made a layup and completed a three-point play for the second time on the night. Jeffries was fouled a second time by Sycamore forward Matt Renn and made the second shot, giving the Hoosiers their first lead since early in the first half. Jeffries led the team with 19 points and nine rebounds. "I try to really work inside and draw fouls and get to the free throw line," he said. "I'm doing a little bit better." \nOne of the biggest problem areas for the Hoosiers in their last two losses has been free throws. In the first half Wednesday, Jeffries was the only player to step to the free throw line, making four-of-six shots. He finished with 9-of-12 and the team made 11-of-15 from the charity stripe. \nDavis said the one thing the Hoosiers couldn't do was go into halftime down by a significant margin. IU turned the ball over 12 times in the first half and trailed 36-26 at the break. The only player on the roster without a miscue in the first half was sophomore forward Jeffrey Newton. After junior forward Jarrad Odle turned the ball over with 6:38 remaining in the half, ISU began a 14-3 run, providing the Sycamore's halftime cushion. \n"Anytime we get off to that kind of a start it hurts us, but I don't think it's going to be an ongoing issue," said junior guard Dane Fife. "We got off some good shots, but we've got to get better and we're getting better. I can feel us getting better." \nIU led 12-9 at the 12:15 mark in the first half, the last lead for the Hoosiers until the second half. Six minutes into the second half, sophomore guard Tom Coverdale made a layup, sparking an 11-1 run, putting the Hoosiers ahead 37-36. \nThe IU defense held until the 9:40 mark when ISU forward Djibril Kante made a dunk, bringing the Sycamores within one. The score was tied at 46, when sophomore guard Kyle Hornsby fouled Sycamore Kelyn Block, who made his first free throw, missing the second. ISU regained the lead 48-46 when Menser made a layup at the 7:40 mark. Menser led the Sycamores with 14 points, three rebounds and seven assists. \nFife said ISU's motion offense gave them the most trouble. \n"It was designed to wear a team down until you get a good shot and early on they got it into the post a lot and their post guys did a nice job of putting it into the basket," Fife said. "I thought we were focused for the game. (But) we forced things a little too much tonight"