Watford scores fewest points of season against Penn State

IU coach Tom Crean said back spasms contributed to sophomore forward Christian Watford’s uncharacteristic evening Monday.

Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said all young players typically have off-nights throughout the course of a long season.

Whatever the reason, Watford suffered his least productive outing of 2010 in the IU men’s basketball team’s Big Ten-opening 69-60 loss to Penn State at Assembly Hall.

Watford, who entered Monday leading IU (9-5) in scoring with 18.3 points per game, managed just three points against the Nittany Lions (8-4). It marked his lowest point total of the season as well as the first time he failed to score in double figures.

Crean praised Penn State’s efforts to neutralize the second-year IU player but also revealed that Watford suffered periodic back pain throughout the game.

“I give him credit for trying to gut it out and play through it as much as he did, and that’s where a lot of that lies in the sense of him not having a great night,” Crean said of Watford.

Either way, Watford was hardly himself on the offensive end. The sophomore, who previously had averaged 46.3 percent from the field, finished 1-of-5, his only first-half point coming on a free throw attempt.  

DeChellis said while Watford got “a star next to his name” on the blackboard in the Penn State locker room before the game, he wasn’t sure whether it was his team’s defense or Watford’s own struggles that produced the Birmingham, Ala. native’s final stat line.

“We sent somebody down there to dig the ball out of his hands when he got it inside there deep,” DeChellis said. “When he gets it in there deep is when he really can play. He’s going to score and get fouls.

“We felt we could … get down there and try to make him dribble a little bit more than he wanted to and make him uncomfortable with the ball, but I’m not sure if that’s our great defense or if he just had a tough time.”

Perhaps DeChellis’ plan was effective. Watford committed three turnovers, the most of any one Hoosier and a third of IU’s nine total turnovers.

The one layup Watford converted at the beginning of the second half began a run that powered IU from a 34-25 halftime deficit to a one-point lead with 8:45 to play. However, a missed layup by the forward a minute later led to a jumper by Penn State forward Jeff Brooks to give the Nittany Lions a three-point lead. Penn State wouldn’t relinquish its advantage the rest of the way.

Watford has been a go-to player for the Hoosiers, but Crean said it takes a full team effort to close out games late.

“I don’t think it’s a situation where it’s just one guy because they all want to do it,” Crean said. “They all mean well. It’s not like nobody comes up and they say, ‘Oh, the game’s over, we can’t win.’ It’s just they start to lose that hope, but it’s got to come throughout the game.”