Late-game heroics power Hoosiers past Aztecs

SALT LAKE CITY -- San Diego State fans might still be blinking. \nIn the closing seconds, junior guard Rod Wilmont attempted to throw the ball in the post to senior forward Marco Killingsworth for a game-stealing post up with IU down 83-82. But SDSU forward Marcus Slaughter knocked the pass loose for what looked to be a game-ending turnover. The ball flew in the air and sophomore guard Robert Vaden skied over an Aztec defender to come down with it around the three-point line. \nVaden squared up and connected on a 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds remaining -- this from a guy whose playing status was in question after an ankle injury last week. \n"He has no nerves. I mean, he fears nothing," IU coach Mike Davis said. \nThe opportunity was created solely by the previous SDSU possession, in which senior guard Marshall Strickland knocked the ball from the grasps of Aztec point guard Brandon Heath. The ball bounced past the half-court line and Heath, in fear of a backcourt violation, boxed Strickland out to keep the clock winding down. Strickland dove for it and wrestled with Heath, forcing a jump ball in IU's favor. \nHeath committed only two turnovers on the evening. \n"I knew that the guy had touched it, and I think he knew that too," junior guard Errek Suhr said. "I don't know why he was doing that because the best thing that could happen for him was just a turnover." \nThe game culminated with an errant inbounds pass from SDSU's Mohamed Abukar, who threw the ball out of bounds on a baseline-to-baseline toss with the clock reading 3.3. IU in bounded and the Aztecs put Wilmont on the free-throw line for two successful foul shots. \nAll this came after the Aztecs shot 56 percent from the field and from three-point range, compared to IU's 50 percent from the floor and 31 percent from behind the arc. In the first half, SDSU shot 62 percent on field goals and 78 percent from the outside. IU finished the first half with a 46 field-goal percentage and a 43 percent three-point percentage. \nSDSU only lost the lead two times in the second half -- once in the final seconds and once at the 8:01 mark when Calloway intercepted an overthrown inbounds pass, then kicked the ball to the left corner for a 3-pointer from Vaden making the score 67-66. \nSDSU's last field goal came when Heath threw in a 3-pointer at the 3:22 mark, moving the Aztec lead to 79-76. The Hoosiers then rung up an 11-4 run to glide them to their four-point victory. \n"You can see it -- our will to win -- no matter how far we get down we're going to keep fighting," junior guard Earl Calloway said.