After about 15 seconds he sat back down, only to run onto the court with the rest of his teammates after IU forced a shot clock violation and a media timeout a few seconds later.
By the end of the first half, IU would lead by 30 points, eventually beating Ohio State 85-60 Sunday at Assembly Hall.
It was the first time IU has led by 30 points at halftime of a Big Ten game since the current statistics system was put in place in the 1996-97 season.
“That was definitely the most fun basketball I feel like — a half at least — that I’ve played here,” Ferrell said. “You got guys like OG (Anunoby) and Collin (Hartman) going to the offensive glass and dunking the ball. I think that’s fun.”
Williams would finish with 23 points, including 16 in the first half, two fewer than Ohio State (11-6, 3-1) scored as a team.
He also only turned the ball over once Sunday. He wasn’t trying to force anything, he said.
He was just trying to read the game and attack when he had an opportunity. Ferrell said Williams does this best on the open floor.
“The main thing I saw that was better from him was that he was out and running, which Coach has gotten on him about to get out and run more,” Ferrell said. “If that happens, just like today, he has layups and anything he wants. He’s too athletic and nobody can stop him.”
Freshman center Thomas Bryant recorded his first career double-double, tallying 18 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.
The Hoosiers (14-3, 4-0) had no trouble getting into the Buckeyes’ lane Sunday, as they finished with 40 points in the paint.
They also grabbed 17 offensive rebounds leading to 32 second-chance points.
There was one point late in the first half when OG Anunoby missed a 3-pointer.
Junior forward Collin Hartman came flying from the left wing, passed Ohio State defenders not boxing out. He grabbed the offensive rebound, but missed the aerial layup.
But then Ferrell came from the same left wing to grab his miss and make the layup.
There was also no semblance of a box out against Ferrell.
That was with 30 seconds left in the first half — 30 seconds left in the most fun half Ferrell’s had in his four years as a Hoosier.
For Ohio State Coach Thad Matta, there was nothing he could say to his team at halftime to help. He was speechless.
“I was literally just searching for something to say, and see if we could pull ourselves out of this,” Matta said. “I don’t think I have been in that situation too much. When you’re in coaching long enough you have a game like this, and to say this is your worst nightmare, this was.”
