Tourney chances still alive after OT win

It seemed all too familiar. By halftime of Saturday night's game against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Hoosiers had secured a 15 point lead and headed into the locker room looking poised to grab a much needed win. \nBut it would not be that simple.\nIowa began the second half in attack mode and suddenly that 15 point lead dissipated into a 10 point lead … then a five point lead … then it was tied.\nBehind the solid play of junior center Jared Reiner, who finished with 25 points and 17 rebounds, the Hawkeyes battled their way back into the game and, as has happened so many times this season, the Hoosiers found their once comfortable advantage had been squandered.\nIt took clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch by senior forward Jeff Newton and a three-pointer in the final seconds of overtime by freshman guard Bracey Wright for the Hoosiers (17-10, 7-7) to finally claim a 91-88 win over Iowa (14-11, 6-8).\nNewton, Wright and senior guard Tom Coverdale led the way with 20, 21, and 16 points, respectively. Coverdale also had six assists and five rebounds. \nJunior guard/forward A.J. Moye, who finished the game with 10 points, said the team has a tendency to get too comfortable when they achieve a lead.\n"Once we get up in double figures we kind of use that as a cushion where it should give us more of a sense of urgency not to lose," he said. \nThe Hawkeyes began the second half with a 9-3 run that narrowed the Hoosier lead to 11. \nIn the midst of that stretch, Newton picked up his third and fourth personal fouls and found himself back on the bench with just over 18 minutes left in the game.\nNewton's absence gave Iowa a huge advantage down low, as coach Mike Davis used junior center George Leach sparingly as well. The Hawkeyes exploited IU's small lineup, outscoring them 30-6 in the paint during the second half and overtime. \nIowa slowly but surely chipped away at the Hoosiers' lead and, with just over four minutes left in the game, senior guard Chauncey Leslie hit a lay-up that put them ahead 70-68. It was their first lead since the score was 8-7.\n"I think once we get a big lead we think that (opponents) are just going to go away," Coverdale said. "(But) teams are going fight back just like we have."\nNewton, who had been on the bench ever since his fourth foul, came into the game just before Leslie's lay-up and proved to be IU's savior.\nThe Hoosiers fed him in the post on nearly every possession in the final 3:48 and he was fouled every time, converting on seven of eight free throws to keep IU in the game. \nWith 1:14 left in regulation, and the Hoosiers up 77-76, freshman point guard Marshall Strickland threw an errant pass that was intercepted by Leslie. He took the ball coast-to-coast and threw down a fast break dunk that put the Hawkeyes up one.\nBut on the Hoosiers' ensuing possession Leslie fouled Wright, who split his free throws to tie the game at 78 all with 42 seconds remaining. \nIowa failed at its last chance to score when junior guard Brody Boyd missed two three-point attempts. \nStrickland then missed a three on the Hoosiers final attempt in regulation and the game went into overtime.\nNewton once again came up big in the extra period, scoring the first five points for the Hoosiers to put them up 83-82.\nThen it was Wright's time to shine.\nMoye dished a pass to the freshman guard in the lane and he elevated high above the rim to throw down an emphatic dunk over Leslie, who was called for a foul.\nWright knocked down his free throw to put the Hoosiers up four. \nIowa junior center Sean Sonderleiter then hit a jumper to cut the lead to two, but on the next possession he again fouled Newton, who converted both free throws.\nThe Hawkeyes refused to go away, however, and scored four unanswered points to tie the game at 88.\nWith 24 seconds left, the Hoosiers had one more chance and they made the most of it. Coverdale came off of a double screen to receive the ball and drew two defenders as he drove toward the lane. One of those defenders was supposed to be on Wright and Coverdale found the freshman wide open and well behind the three-point line.\nWright took the pass and immediately went up for the shot, and hit nothing but net.\n"The play broke down and when that happens all we look for is a drive and kick and it worked to perfection," Wright said.\nThe Hawkeyes had 11 seconds to attempt a shot and found freshman forward Greg Brunner on the baseline. He went up for the three but Moye was right there and got his hand up for a block, saving the win for the Hoosiers.\nAfter the game, Davis said he hoped the beginning of a new month would also mark a new beginning for his team.\n"I told our guys today, in November and December I thought we were one of the best teams in the country," he said. "At the end of December, January and February we were awful, just bad and my point to them was today is March 1. Let's be the best b-ball team in the country in March, that's when it really counts"