IU slain in front of chaotic home crowd

On Saturday, with the players focused, the crowd borderline riotous and a two-point lead at the half, Hoosier fans were once again forced to ask themselves, “Could today be the day?”

It was not.

The Hoosiers (5-15, 0-8) reluctantly made history Saturday with their 11th consecutive loss, tying a 66-year-old school record. Ohio State outscored IU by 14 points in the second half and outlasted an unconscious shooting performance by freshman guard Matt Roth, to beat IU 93-81.

With the losses mounting, the vibe around Assembly Hall has continued to become one of desperation. The season-high 17,202 spectators filling the arena Saturday often became the center of attention mid-game.

Officials were forced to stop the game several times to tame the rowdy student section.
Twice, the fans were warned for using inappropriate language in chants after calls went against the Hoosiers. Another time, play was stopped because players on both teams were hearing whistles coming out of the stands.

The students responded both times. They replaced their dirty chants with a cheer directed at IU coach Tom Crean.

Upset with call after call, the fans chanted at Crean, “Throw a chair, throw a chair.”

When the students were ordered to stop whistling, a five-minute chorus of furious whistling provided a soundtrack to the game’s action.

In addition to the officials, Roth’s 3-point shooting also ignited the win-hungry audience.

The freshman hit 9-of-11 3-point attempts against the Buckeyes, tying Roderick Wilmont’s school record for 3s in a game, which the former Hoosier set in 2007.

The sweet-shooting guard drained shot after shot to the crowd’s delight and Ohio State coach Thad Matta’s amazement.

“I honestly wanted him to keep shooting because I was like, ‘This is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen,’” Matta said.