Haston helps save squandered lead

For the third time this season, junior center Kirk Haston has been named Big Ten Player of the Week. Haston led IU (14-9, 5-4 Big Ten) to a pair of road wins, the first time IU has won back-to-back Big Ten road games since 1995-96. \nHaston dueled with Ohio State center Ken Johnson -- the Big Ten's all-time leading shot blocker -- scoring 18 points and pulling down five rebounds. He recorded a career-high five steals, two blocks and one assist. \nHaston sealed the Hoosiers victory with his final steal, which came with less than 30 seconds remaining. Haston stole the inbound pass at halfcourt and raced for a lay-up to give IU a three-point lead and its first win outside the state of Indiana in 11 tries. Three of Haston's steals came in the game's final 40 seconds. \nHe followed that performance with a career-high 29 points at Penn State Saturday. He ripped down seven rebounds and hit a pair of three-pointers, the final one coming with 3.9 seconds remaining in regulation. Haston drained the shot from the left wing to tie the game. \n"Kirk can shoot the basketball," interim head coach Mike Davis said after the game. "That was a big shot he made to send it into overtime. He came back and played great for us."\nHaston scored seven points in overtime, as IU won 85-78. Fifteen of Haston's 29 points came after he picked up his fourth foul with 12 minutes left in the second half. \nHaston shot 51.6 percent from the field on the week and hit four of his six three-point shots and led the Hoosiers to consecutive Big Ten wins for the first time this season. \nHaston is the only player in the Big Ten to earn Player of the Week honors on three occasions this season. One of Haston's other honors came Jan. 8 after he score 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds at Wisconsin and then scored 27 points and hit the game-winning three-pointer against then-No. 1 Michigan State. He also won the award Nov. 20 after posting back-to-back double-doubles in wins against Pepperdine and South Alabama. \n"Kirk is our money guy," Davis said. "He carried us down the stretch. If he can continue to play this way, he's going to be player of the year in the Big Ten." \nIowa junior guard Luke Recker, Penn State senior guard Joe Crispin and Michigan State senior guard Charlie Bell have all been named Player of the Week twice.