Hoosiers drop ball at home against Spartans

Saturday night brought some welcome change for the Hoosiers. \nFor the first time in four games, cheers were aimed in their direction as they took the court and, behind that supportive crowd, played with more energy and intensity than they displayed during their four game road trip. \nFreshman guard Bracey Wright appeared to be less bothered by his back injury, scoring 20 points and looking like the player who helped lead IU to a No. 6 national ranking earlier in the season. \nAfter a sub-par game against Northwestern Wednesday, senior forward Jeff Newton also appeared to be back to his old self as he scored 24.\nBut for all the effort it was the same result, as the Hoosiers fell to the Michigan State Spartans 67-62 in overtime.\nAfter the game, coach Mike Davis, who had been visibly frustrated during much of the Hoosiers' four-game road losing streak, appeared to be more laid back and positive.\n"I walk away from this game and I'm disappointed for sure," he said. "I know all the fans are disappointed. But you saw a better basketball team tonight than you saw in the past so that's all we can do as a basketball team." \nMichigan State and IU butted heads for the entire first half, and the even match-up led to seven lead changes and three ties.\nJunior center George Leach played only nine minutes in the first half because of a broken nose and concussion he suffered in last Thursday's practice. \nHe did not play at all in the second half, paving the way for Spartan freshman center Paul Davis to come off the bench for a huge game. At halftime he had nine points and three rebounds and would finish with 21 and nine.\nThe second half began in the same up-and-down tempo that characterized the first. But when Mike Davis received a technical foul for arguing with a ref over a call, the momentum began to shift the Spartans' way as they built a three point lead to seven points.\nThe Hoosiers would soon regain their composure, however, when senior guard Tom Coverdale knocked down a three from the top of the key to make the score 37-41 with just less than thirteen minutes to go.\nWright came up with a steal during Michigan State's next possession. He beat two Spartan defenders on the ensuing fast break and brought the ball high above the rim for a thunderous dunk that cut the lead to two points.\nNewton tied the game at 45 two minutes later when Coverdale gave him the ball on the wing for a three-pointer.\nThe teams continued to battle back and forth, and with 1:30 to go Newton sank two free throws to tie the score at 53.\nBut during the Spartans' next possession, sophomore point guard Chris Hill hit a long three to give his team the lead.\nAfter the Hoosiers took a 30-second time out, Roberts attempted a three from the left baseline that barely grazed the rim. A Spartan player touched the ball as it went out of bounds. \nThe Hoosiers would not miss on their second attempt to tie it as Wright took a pass from Coverdale and sunk an open three on the right baseline.\nHill missed a desperate fade-away three falling out of bounds on the Spartan's last possession in regulation, sending the game into overtime.\nThe Spartans scored the first four points in the extra period that the Hoosiers were never able to tie.\nWith 29.2 seconds on the game clock, 20 seconds on the shot clock and the Hoosiers down 64-62, Newton missed a 17 footer and fouled Hill on the rebound. Hill sunk one of two, and, after a timeout, Wright drove all the way from the backcourt into the lane but the lost the ball.\n"I was coming down and I was gaining ground on (MSU freshman guard Maurice Ager)," he said. "I was getting ready to turn the corner and the ball took a funny bounce and I lost it right out of my hand."\nAger recovered the ball and was immediately fouled by senior forward Kyle Hornsby. He sank both foul shots to make the score 67-62 with 9.4 seconds left and the game out of reach.\n"I think we were definitely feeling better about ourselves (going into overtime)," Coverdale said. "But if we don't get the first basket or two we've got to find a way to fight back and we didn't make plays"