IU defeats Kennesaw State 90-66

Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell turned in his best game in a Hoosier uniform Sunday to lead IU in its 90-66 victory over Kennesaw State.

The sophomore guard tallied 25 points to go along with 5 assists and 6 rebounds. His point total was one shy of a career high.

Much of Ferrell’s contribution came in the game’s first 20 minutes. His 16 first-half points were the focal point of an IU attack that jumped out to a 22-point lead before ending the period with a 43-25 lead.

 “I’m trying to find different outlets, find different ways to score,” Ferrell said of his strong showing. “I’m kind of just playing the game, really, just trying to make the game as simple as possible.”

Four Hoosiers finished the game with double-digit scoring tallies: senior forward Will Sheehey scored 15 points, freshman forward Noah Vonleh recorded 14, and freshman forward Luke Fischer chipped in a career-high 10 points.

Fischer made an impact on both ends of the floor, adding a career-high three blocked shots to his offensive production.

He attributed his improved play to work in practice throughout the week.

“I think ever since this past week started, they’ve really had us move forward in practice, and I guess it’s translated to games,” Fischer said. “We’ve been doing it all week long.”
IU was able to find its way to the rim throughout the game, eschewing the three-point shot in favor of high-percentage looks. The Hoosiers’ 11 attempted three-pointers were their fewest in a game since attempting 8 in the season opener against Chicago State.

The Hoosiers’ 62.7 percent shooting was a season-high and the team’s highest since Dec. 19, 2012. 

Despite the offensive success, the Hoosiers struggled with turnovers, giving the ball away 20 times. It was the second consecutive game in which the Hoosiers turned the ball over 20 times.

For the season, the Hoosiers average 15.9 turnovers per game against 13.7 per game
from their opponents.

IU Coach Tom Crean said his staff recognizes the importance of protecting the ball and will continue to work with his team on the issue.

“We really grasp the fact that when we give the ball back to the other team, it’s really taking points off our average and off individual averages,” Crean said. “What we need to be able to do… is take care of the ball better. There’s such an opportunity for us to do good things with it.”

With the victory, IU moves to 10-3 on the season and ends the nonconference portion of their schedule.
Up next is a Dec. 31 matchup at Illinois and the start of the Big Ten conference season that comes with it.

Ferrell said that it will be up to him and senior forward Will Sheehey to lead a young team throughout the grind of a Big Ten season.

“I like, so far, where we are,” he said. “Being young doesn’t really play a factor into it, we’ve got a lot of games under our belt.

“We’re going to work hard, and definitely take care of the ball. That all starts with me and Will.”