Hoosiers go to 3-0; Duke on horizon

MACOMB, Ill. -- For the third straight game, the IU men's basketball team topped 50 percent shooting and 99 points in its 102-79 victory against Western Illinois University Saturday night.\nAfter only five minutes, No. 20 IU (3-0) owned a double-digit lead, making seven of its first nine shots, including three three-pointers. On the night, IU drained 16 total long balls, the second highest three-point total in school history.\nThe Hoosiers also had a successful evening passing the ball, registering assists on 29 of their 36 field goals.\n"We've never passed the ball like this," IU coach Mike Davis said. "I love this team because of the unselfish play. We have guys on this basketball team that can score 20 points on any given night, but they'll let the 20 come to them." \nSenior Marco Killingsworth let a 20-point game come to him for the second time this season, pacing the Hoosiers with 22 points on 8-for-11 shooting. The Auburn transfer quieted the 5,021 in attendance early, slamming home IU's second basket of the game. He never relented from there, missing only one shot (a three-pointer) in the first half.\n"Just wait on that double team, that's what we've been saying," Killingsworth said. "Get it, hold it, wait on that double team and kick it out because eventually you're going to get your shine on."\nSophomore Robert Vaden had his coming out party in the Hoosiers' first road game, scoring a career-high 22 points, after scoring just 20 points in IU's first two games combined. The sophomore also set his career high for assists in the first half alone with six -- totaling eight for the game. \n"I think (Vaden) is one of the most underrated players in the country," Davis said. "I really appreciate him because he played (power forward)."\nThe Hoosiers had five players score in double figures, the most of the season. \nAmong the leading scorers were Killingsworth (22), Vaden (22), junior Rod Wilmont (15), senior Marshall Strickland (13) and junior Errek Suhr (13). Wilmont started for the first time this season and led IU with nine rebounds, while Suhr is the only bench player to hit double figures in all three games this year.\n"Errek Suhr is always the same," Davis said. "I hope people forget to read the scouting report on him because he's always open."\nThe Leathernecks hung with IU for much of the second half -- scoring 47 points to IU's 49. Forward Marlon Mahorn rose to the occasion in Western Illinois' first home game against a ranked opponent in more than 50 years. The nephew of former NBA great Rick Mahorn led the Leathernecks with 17 points behind a 4-for-5 three-point shooting effort.\nNext, IU will welcome No. 1 Duke to Assembly Hall Wednesday. The Hoosiers have yet to be tested for a full 40 minutes, and Davis hopes to keep it that way.\n"There are two things that coaches say that kind of puzzle me," he said. "That they want to be in close games, and they want to peak at the right time. I want to play well the whole year, and I don't want any close games"