IU wins final exhibition 79-39

After a slow start, the IU men’s basketball team found strength from behind the arc to distance itself from the Hillsdale College Chargers for a 79-39 victory at Assembly Hall in the Hoosiers’ final exhibition test of the season.
 
The Hoosiers managed an early bucket off of freshman forward Noah Vonleh’s jump ball tip, but from there, Indiana went ice-cold, giving up 13-straight points to the Chargers, including three 3-pointers.
 
IU struggled to get shots off and at one point, had more turnovers (six) than field goal attempts (five).
 
But three free throws in two successive trips to the line from sophomore guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell jumpstarted the Hoosiers. IU would go on to score 11-straight, capped off by a deflection from freshman center Luke Fischer who fed it to a streaking freshman forward Troy Williams who layed it in to knot it at 13-all.
 
Hillsdale followed with another 3-pointer, but then IU would score 14-straight to take the team’s first double-digit lead of the game with 3:16 left in the half. Hillsdale a small comeback to get it within five, but the Hoosiers went into the lockeroom ahead 33-24.
 
Out of the gate in the second half, senior forward Will Sheehey pushed IU’s lead back to double-digits quickly with a 3-pointer. Another three from the lone senior forced the Chargers to call a timeout less than three minutes into the second half.
 
But the Hoosiers’ improved game from behind the arc in the second half didn’t stop there.
 
Sophomore forward Jeremy Hollowell added one off an assist from Sheehey with 16:20 to go, putting IU ahead comfortably at 44-26.
 
The Hoosiers showed shortly after that they could do more than just launch the long ball. After Ferrell took the ball up the court, he fed it behind his back to freshman guard Stanford Robinson who found sophomore forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea underneath the basket for a gentle dunk and a trip to the line.
 
The Chargers continue to struggle from the field, possibly feeling the aches and pains of a second game in as many days. The Hoosiers’ stingy defense continued to create opportunities in transition, and with 9:12 left, the Hoosiers doubled up Hillsdale 61-30 off of Vonleh’s rebound of Williams’ 3-point attempt.
 
After giving up 13 quick points, the Hoosiers surrendered just 14 points in the second half to the Chargers, even with a series of young, inexperienced line-ups rotated through in the closing minutes.
 
Ferrell led the Hoosiers with 14 points, and Sheehey followed with 12 as the only two Indiana players in double figures. The freshmen duo of Williams and Robinson followed with nine points each.

-- Nathan Brown