Hoosiers rout Kentucky without key players

Despite not playing with its starting backcourt, the No. 15 IU men’s basketball team defeated border rival Kentucky 70-51 Saturday at Assembly Hall.\nFreshman guard Eric Gordon, the team’s leading scorer at 24 points per game, was a late scratch because of the bruised tail bone he sustained in the Hoosiers’ previous game against Tennessee State.\nSophomore guard Armon Bassett was suspended from the game for violating team rules. IU coach Kelvin Sampson said he has not decided how long the suspension would last and he didn't indicate what the violation was.\nFreshman guard Jordan Crawford stepped up in place of the two missing guards, scoring a game-high 20 points. The game held special meaning for the freshman as he matched up against his older brother, Joe, a senior guard for the Wildcats.\nA 7-0 run to start the second half extended the Hoosier lead to 19 points and put the game out of reach. The win extended IU’s home winning streak to 23 games. IU will look to push the streak to 24 games when the team returns to action next Saturday to host Western Carolina.\nCheck the Basketblog and Monday’s IDS for further coverage.