Hulls lifts IU past NCCU in 72-56 win

Jordan Hulls did what his team needed to win Tuesday.

Relegated to distributor duty through the first four games of the season, the sophomore guard gave life to an otherwise dormant IU offense with 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting in a 72-56 victory against North Carolina Central.

Hulls was the team leader in assists with 13 coming into Tuesday’s game, but finished with only one helper against the Eagles.

IU coach Tom Crean said Tuesday was an example of how Hulls adapts to the game’s situation.

“He just plays, and that’s exactly where we need him,” he said. “He’s a natural point guard, he’s a natural shooter, but if somebody were to ask me right now what position he is, I’d just say he’s on the court.”

Hulls did most of his damage from beyond the arc, going 3-of-4 from the 3-point line. With NCCU employing a zone-heavy defensive scheme, Hulls said his hot night was a result of ball movement ending with him open.

“I was just taking what the defense was giving me,” he said. “We pushed the ball and got one on transition and then one through the offense, so I felt like they came through the offense. My teammates found me and I was able to hit them.”

IU needed Hulls’ shooting touch to advance to 5-0 for the first time since 2002, as the rest of the team struggled throughout much of the night to find the bottom of the basket.

The Hoosiers shot 36 percent from the field in the first half and finished with a 41 percent clip. IU was just 4-of-17 from the 3-point line, not including a 55-foot heave to end the half from freshman guard Victor Oladipo.

The Eagles shot 47.8 percent from the field, but the difference in the game came at the free-throw line. IU knocked down 76 percent of its free-throw attempts – including 12-of-14 in the second half. NCCU, meanwhile, only hit 57 percent of its chances.

Watford shot just 4-of-14 from the field, but a 9-of-10 effort from the charity stripe pushed him to a game-high 17 points. He didn’t make a field goal in the first half, but Crean said his patience on the floor showed how he has matured from last season, and Watford agreed.

“Last year I might have panicked and then not do anything in the second half,” he said. “That’s all part of growing up and part of playing basketball.”

Sophomore forward Derek Elston returned from a one-game hiatus and junior guard Matt Roth returned from a knee injury suffered during the exhibition season. It was the first time in the regular season IU has had every player – save for junior center Guy-Marc Michel – available to play.

Roth didn’t register a point, but Elston finished with nine points and six rebounds in 21 minutes played.

“It was good to have Derek back. That’s not a CNN newsflash,” Crean said. “It was good to have him there scoring in the post, being aggressive and alert, playing with a lot of energy. I thought he did an excellent job defensively and on the defensive glass.”