Freshmen lead way in 83-60 victory

Freshman forward Derek Elston’s game didn’t hinge on his performance Friday.

It began well before the big heads, crimson fleeces or screaming fans worked their way into Assembly Hall.

“The 3-point shooting actually began this morning when Coach Crean asked me to hit about five in a row,” he said. “He told me I needed to get more into the offense, and he had me hit five in a row.”

That early practice would come in handy. Elston stood outside the arc at 6 feet, 9 inches as the defense looked at him and dared him to take the shot. He buried the open look and began a night he would end with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting in 14 minutes.

His 3-pointer posed as a spark in a 20-5 run IU used to separate from Howard and gain an 83-60 win. Elston was one in a line of players performing in their first regular season game at Assembly Hall who helped lift IU to a comfortable win.

Just before the freshman reacted, the team had reached a point where its youth began to show.

The initial adrenaline had worn off and the game became more of a half-court grind before miscues and turnovers began to weigh down IU’s first half against Howard.

The Hoosiers committed 16 turnovers and forced Howard into 19 turnovers as the game became a display of hot potato.

Freshmen Maurice Creek, Elston and Christian Watford helped change that with the help of their point guards. The three led IU in scoring and provided buckets in key moments. Their play added an energy that changed the pace of an IU contest that had points where the Hoosiers were mundane and mistake-prone.  

“Coach always talks about playing a fast-paced game,” Creek said. “And, as you see, we got a lot of transition points, we got back on defense really well tonight and the team brought the energy tonight as well.”

Driving the IU offense was freshman guard Jordan Hulls, who had two points and five assists. Junior guard Jeremiah Rivers furiously pushed the ball as well and ended with four assists of his own.

Their run-and-gun style helped Creek score 17 points from the wing and led Watford to a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

IU coach Tom Crean said IU ran a crisp offense with 20 assists and 61 shots.

The Hoosiers hit 55 percent of their field goals, 50 percent of their 3-pointers and went 8-of-13 at the free-throw line.

The versatility of IU’s offense was fueled from play from Elston and his freshman counterparts.

Elston wouldn’t stay on the outside. He took his game into the paint and rebounded for layups. He said that his height has always been something that worked to his advantage.

“Hopefully a lot of teams do that,” he said. “They think because I’m big I can’t do anything. That’s what really helped me out in high school, too. They just thought I was big and couldn’t do anything. But once I get to playing my game, I’m as good as anyone out there.”

Although they ran the score up on Howard, a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team, the Hoosiers lost the battle on free throws and offensive rebounds.  

The Hoosiers have a quick turnaround and will play another contest against USC Upstate today, marking their second regular-season game. Crean said the team has a lot of changes to make in its coming games.

“There’s just a ton of things for us to improve upon,” Crean said. “And we know that, and all of you know it, and I think our fans know it.”