IU drops fourth straight with loss to Northwestern

For IU, the line between rest and rust was thin.

The Hoosiers, playing their first game in exactly one week, opened cold on both ends of the floor and couldn't climb out of a 10-point halftime deficit in a 70-64 loss to Northwestern on Saturday in Assembly Hall.

IU fought back with another valiant second-half effort, even tying the game at 52 after a one-handed slam from sophomore forward Derek Elston with 8:20 remaining.
After sophomore guard Jordan Hulls nailed a 3-pointer, the Hoosiers had closed a gap to three points with 1:12 remaining.

Northwestern guard Michael Thompson turned it over on the next possession, but IU couldn't add a field goal in the final 37 seconds.

Junior guard Verdell Jones scored a team-high 18 points, while Elston added a game-high 11 rebounds. Thompson led the Wildcats attack with 22 points, while forward John Shurna added 19 playing with four fouls.

Facing an IU zone defense, Northwestern bombed away from the 3-point line. The Wildcats finished 11-of-24 from beyond the arc, account for 55 percent of their shot attempts. Shurna and Thompson each had three long balls, while Drew Crawford and Alex Marcotullio each added a pair.

When Northwestern wasn't shooting from the 3-point line, it was getting to the foul line - and converting. The Wildcats finished 21-of-25 from the charity stripe, including an 11-of-11 performance from Thompson.

The Hoosiers get a rematch with Purdue next in a Wednesday night matchup. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. in Assembly Hall.