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The Indiana Daily Student

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Hoosiers make history with 18th loss

IU freshman guard Matt Roth shoots a three-pointer during the second half of IU's 65-52 loss to Illinois Sunday evening at Assembly Hall. Roth led the team with 13 points on three of six shooting from behind the three-point line.

Unprecedented circumstances or not, the Hoosiers have now lost more games than any team in the program’s 109-year history.

On Sunday, in front of a striped-out, sold-out Assembly Hall crowd, IU continued to reluctantly make history this season. The team’s 65-52 loss to No. 22 Illinois marked the Hoosiers’ 18th loss of the year, the most in IU history.

With a few emotional bruises still remaining from the 31-point trouncing the Hoosiers (6-18, 1-11) received Jan. 10 in Champaign, Ill., several IU players promised earlier this week to come out with more energy and purpose the second time around against their border rivals.

Instead, the first half was a scene Hoosier fans have become accustomed to seeing unfold this season: IU’s opponents couldn’t miss, and the Hoosiers couldn’t make.

With 2:06 left in the first half, the blue and orange were up 36-15 after Michael Jordan’s son, Illinois guard Jeffrey Jordan, scored on a layup to put his team up 21.

“We didn’t compete nearly as much as we should have in the first half,” freshman guard Verdell Jones said. “I thought we fought tooth and nail in the second half like we were supposed to.”

Despite being public enemy No. 1 to Hoosier Nation, Illinois coach Bruce Weber was gracious in his post-game press conference, complimenting IU coach Tom Crean and his players for battling back in the second half and working hard throughout the season.

“They could have quit at halftime,” Weber said.

But they did not. Weber said the Hoosiers, who played their second straight game without the suspended Devan Dumes, used as many as five defenses Sunday and switched to a “line and three” defense in the second half, which confused his players repeatedly.

Instead of playing basketball, Weber said his team got caught up “going for the jugular,” which helped the Hoosiers cut Illinois’ lead down to six with less than seven minutes remaining.

But Illinois guard Chester Frazier – the infamous Eric Gordon chest(er) bumper – made sure IU’s comeback was fruitless.

In the second half, Crean switched defenses and essentially dared Frazier – a career 29.6 percent shooter from behind the arc – to shoot.

After turning down several open shots earlier in the half, Frazier accepted Crean’s challenge. With the crowd roaring, the shot clock winding down and his team only ahead by six, Frazier hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key that signed, sealed and delivered IU’s 14th loss in 15 games.

Seconds before Frazier’s shot silenced the 17,346 in attendance, the Hoosiers were on a 23-10 run sparked by freshmen guards Malik Story and Matt Roth’s aggressive play. 

But Shaquille-esque free throw shooting kept the Hoosiers at a safe distance from taking the lead. Wearing out the back of the rim, IU shot 11-of-24 from the charity stripe.

In his post-game press conference, Crean took exception, cutting off a reporter who asked him if he emphasized free throw shooting to his players.

“No, I don’t emphasize it,” Crean said sarcastically. “What kind of question is that? Come on, now, seriously. Do you think we’re up there trying – I’m not up here trying to be a jerk, but do you think we don’t shoot free throws? All right? Nobody is up there trying to miss a free throw. Yes, we emphasize it. We have to get better at it.”

One area in which IU did improve from its last game is ball handling. After turning the ball over 26 times at Minnesota on Tuesday, IU committed only 13 turnovers Sunday.

But the team struggled in other areas. Roth was the only player to score in double figures, finishing with 13 points, and the team shot 27.3 from the field in the first half.
 
The Fighting Illini, who possessed a height advantage at almost every position, altered countless Hoosier shots and blocked 10.

“We take those shots in practice and nobody blocks the shot,” Crean joked after the game. “We take those shots in the game and there are three people in line to get it.”

The team now has three days off before playing Wisconsin on Thursday. Before taking questions from the media after the game, Crean said Dumes’ suspension is “still very much a basketball issue” and he’s been in contact with Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany and IU Athletics Director Fred Glass concerning the situation.

Crean gave no timeline for Dumes’ return and added, “We’re just trying to take care of our house the best that we can, and certainly ... I want the league to be happy with it as well.”

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