Gettin' on the defensive

Behind a strong defensive effort and hot shooting in the second half, the Hoosiers expanded their one-point halftime lead into an 11-point win Saturday over the Northwestern Wildcats, 73-62, in front of 15,140 at Assembly Hall.\nThe Hoosiers (8-6, 2-1 Big Ten) had six days to prepare for a Northwestern team that knocked them off the last time the teams met. The Wildcats (7-8, 2-2) shot 50 percent in the game but were held to 39.7 percent Saturday.\n"I would say we have had our best back-to-back defensive performances all season in the last two games with Michigan and Northwestern," said IU coach Mike Davis, winner of his 75th game at IU. "They didn't get one backdoor layup on us the whole night. That was crucial because last year when we played them up there, all they shot were layups."\nIU led by as much as 11 in the first half but gave up 14 points in the final five minutes of the half and took a one-point lead at halftime. Northwestern came out in the second half and took the lead less than one minute in on a three-pointer by sophomore guard T.J. Parker.\nThe Hoosiers responded with a 15-3 run and were sparked by sophomore guard Marshall Strickland, who scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half.\n"Well, in the second half, I was able to catch the ball a little closer to the basket in places I could make plays," Strickland said. "We just tried to be more aggressive against their zone and try and penetrate and move the ball faster."\nWith the win, IU pulled into a five-way tie for first place in the Big Ten -- a spot few believed they would be in, after the 34-point loss at Wisconsin to open the Big Ten season.\n"I think the pieces are falling into place for us," sophomore guard Bracey Wright said. "Some of the top teams have been losing. A lot of unexpected teams have went on the road and won some big games. You know as long as we keep taking care of business and everything keeps going like it is, we have a chance to be on top when the Big Ten season is over."\nStrickland said the team never lost its confidence, despite the negativity surrounding the losses to Temple and Wisconsin.\n"We get better every game," Strickland said. "I think coach believes that we can win this -- win the Big Ten. I think the players are actually starting to believe it too, so we look forward to having a great Big Ten season." \nThe Hoosiers shot 65 percent in the second half and 5-9 behind the arc. Wright led the team with 16 points. Senior forward A.J. Moye and sophomore forward Sean Kline added eight a piece for IU.\n"This team is fighting now," Moye said. "I'm loving it. When you fight, it offsets turnovers, it offsets bad shots, it offsets lapses defensively every now and then when you fight…This team is fighting. We're fighting. This is awesome. I'm glad to be a part of this team"