Gordon leads IU past UNC-Pembroke

In its final preseason tune-up, the IU men’s basketball team relied on strong 3-point shooting and a stellar first-half performance from star freshman Eric Gordon to knock off UNC-Pembroke 111-62.\nBut the win didn’t come without a scare. \nStarting sophomore point guard Armon Bassett left the game late in the first half with an injury to his left ankle. After the game, coach Kelvin Sampson said he was unsure of Bassett’s status.\n“I think he’ll be OK, but I’m not sure,” Sampson said.\nAfter assisting a Gordon 3-pointer, Bassett stayed on the ground, grimacing in pain as he clutched his ankle. He left the game with about one minute remaining in the first half and walked straight into the locker room.\nBassett rejoined the team on the bench in the second half, but did not play, with his ankle wrapped in ice. Sampson said he is unsure of Bassett’s status for Monday’s season opener against Tennessee-Chattanooga. \n“He probably could have played in the second half ... but I didn’t want to risk playing him anymore,” Sampson said.\nAfter the game, Sampson stressed the two things he’d like most to see from his team during games and at practice – toughness and intensity. He even benched freshman forward Brandon McGee for the entire first half for his lack of intensity during practice. \n“I don’t want us to win because we’re a better team,” Sampson said. “I want us to win because we’re tougher.”\nMcGee scored 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting and was 4-for-6 from behind the arc.\nThe Hoosiers had some difficulty picking through Pembroke’s zone defense. IU relied on strong 3-point shooting – a trademark of last year’s team – to knock off the Braves. Sampson had said in the past that this year’s IU team was more apt at penetrating through defenses and creating offense.\n“I don’t mind threes as long as they go in,” Sampson said. “If you shoot 30 threes and are not making them, then it’s probably not a good idea. If you shoot 30 and make 18, they are probably pretty good shots.”\nThe Hoosiers finished 18-of-30 from 3-point range. \nGordon led all scorers with 24 points – all in the first half – and left the crowd chanting his name before halftime. \n“He came out ready to play,” Sampson said, adding that Gordon was practicing at 12:30 p.m., at least two hours before the team arrived for the pregame shoot around. “It’s nice to see the kids who work the hardest get rewarded the most.”\nAlthough he put up solid numbers, Gordon’s biggest contribution might have been a mental one. \nWith only a seven-point lead late in the first half, Gordon re-entered the game after a short break and ignited the IU offense. Before a second could tick off the clock, Gordon forced a Braves turnover on an in bounds pass. On the ensuing possession, the Indianapolis native drained a 3-pointer to give the Hoosiers a 10-point lead. \nThe score never got closer.\nIU finished the first half with a 52-35 lead. \nLed by McGee’s offensive output and a slew of blocked shots by senior forward D.J. White and junior guard Jamarcus Ellis, the Hoosiers extended their lead to almost 40 by the 10-minute mark of the second half. \nDespite a distinct height advantage – IU boasts six players as tall or taller than Pembroke’s tallest player, 6-foot-7 Matthew Helmick – the Hoosiers owned a slim nine-rebound advantage in the game.