FALLING APART

For the second time in the last week, IU gave away a double-digit halftime lead. This time, however, the Hoosiers weren't as lucky as No. 4 Missouri rallied from an 11-point halftime hole, and a 14-point deficit with 7:14 remaining, to steal a 63-58 win in Assembly Hall Saturday. \nIU was outscored 21-2 during that stretch. Two free throws by IU sophomore forward Sean Kline with 4:23 left to play were the last points the Hoosiers would score.\n"We fell apart in the last four minutes of the game," Kline said. "Up 10 with four minutes, and just everything fell apart. We stopped executing offensively, turned the ball over a couple of times and didn't recover to the shooters. That's it right there."\nEvery time the Tigers would score in the second half, the Hoosiers would respond. A three-pointer by IU sophomore guard Bracey Wright put the Hoosiers up 14 with 7:14 to go. And when Missouri's main inside threat, senior center Arthur Johnson, fouled out with 4:23 left to play, the game looked to be in the Hoosiers' hands.\nMissouri freshman Linas Kleiza scored seven points in the final four minutes, including a three-point play with 1:20 left to give the Tigers their first lead since the opening minute.\n"It was team defense that won the game," Missouri coach Quin Snyder said. "Execution, as a coach, you're really proud of your guys when you execute the way we did down the stretch."\nIU jumped out to an early first half lead, thanks in part to seven three pointers. IU junior guard Donald Perry was 3-3 behind the arc in the first half, and the team shot 53.8 percent from the field.\n"This was going to be a game that we knew we could take," Wright said. "We got up early and were leading the whole way, and for us to let that slip away like that and them to come into Assembly Hall and beat us when we know we should have won, that stings more than getting blown out on the road. But it's the same as a loss."\nWright only had 12 points on the day and just three in the second half after averaging 21.4 ppg on the season. But IU was helped out by having three other players in double figures. Perry had a team-high 13, and sophomore guard Marshall Strickland and senior guard A.J. Moye added 10 each.\nIU struggled in the second half to find the shots they had been making all game. The Hoosiers made only five field goals, shooting 21.7 percent including 1-12 from behind the three-point line.\n"We have a great offense, but sometimes we stand around too much," IU coach Mike Davis said. "And maybe that's my fault. We don't screen sometimes and get the basketball where it needs to be. We have to continue to execute and execute."\nIU was able to overcome Xavier in overtime on Nov. 29 after giving up its lead.\nMissouri was led by senior forward Travon Bryant, who had 16 points. Kleiza and Johnson each had 15 for the Tigers.\n"We played a great basketball team today," Davis said. "The key for us is to just get better as a basketball team. If we could go back and replay the last four minutes of the game, you would see a lot of our players settling for outside shots. Missouri did a great job of making plays down the stretch. We just need to continue to improve as a team. It's going to take some time, and we have a tough schedule ahead, but I am sure we will get better."\nIU travels to South Bend, Ind., Wednesday to face Notre Dame. It will be tough for IU after losing big on the road and this game at home, but Wright said the team needs to carry over the way they played Saturday, minus the last couple of minutes.\n"I think any time you have a young team, we're always going to be ready," Wright said. "We're always going to be ready to go in and fight. Our team is full of energy and full of emotion. But I think the main thing right now is with this loss, we can't fall apart as a team."\n-- Contact Sports editor Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.