'This is your win'

Finally, Assembly Hall had something to celebrate.

Led by the unconscious shooting touch from junior guard Devan Dumes and a stingy defense, the Hoosiers (6-15, 1-8) brought a well-deserved win back to Bloomington.

“This will be the toughest win that they ever get, and I’m really proud of them,” IU coach Tom Crean said. “I think we were trying to get rid of that 50- to 75-pound weight on everybody’s back and, thankfully, now that’s gone.”

Dumes made all but one of his nine shots and dropped a season-high 27 points en route to IU’s 68-60 win over Iowa – the Hoosiers’ first victory since Dec. 10. Later saying he wished he could have shaken the hand of every fan who witnessed the team’s first Big Ten win, Crean took center stage to address the crowd.

“This is your win,” Crean said into a microphone. “And there’s no way we could do it without the best fans in America.”

Unlike earlier efforts in the year, the Hoosiers defended a large lead and refused to cave during Iowa’s furious comeback in the final minutes – cutting a 20-point lead down to three with 1:30 remaining.

“We didn’t panic,” Dumes said. “We stuck with our defensive presence and we didn’t give up.”

Yet Dumes, seemingly the man who could do no wrong, drilled a 3-pointer off a screen with 1:11 remaining and lifted the building tension after the Hoosiers’ lead nearly dwindled to nothing.

Later, Dumes picked off an Iowa pass with 23 seconds left, effectively sealing the game.

“I just knew it was going in,” said freshman guard Nick Williams of Dumes’ shot. “Like Devan always, he hit the big shot and I couldn’t even move. I was mesmerized.”

The last time IU clashed with Iowa, the Hoosiers had just begun their losing streak and nearly pulled off the win – just like they continued to do so many times throughout the past two months against other opponents. This time around, though, the intensity and all the hard work paid off.

“For them to continue to persevere and keep believing,” Iowa coach Todd Lickliter said, “I think it’s a real credit to what they’re doing.”

The first half presented a battle of lead changes and tough defense. From the opening minutes, the Hoosiers struggled to find their shot and the Hawkeyes forced six early turnovers.
At the same time, though, Iowa was having its own struggles. In the first half, no player scored more than five points and the IU defense held the Hawkeyes to shooting 36.4 percent from the field, and to the Hoosiers’ advantage, Iowa – a 3-point-happy team – made only one triple.

All the while, the Hoosiers frequently took the ball to the hoop, drawing numerous fouls along the way, and cashed in most of their free throws.

Still, for most of the first half, the score remained tight with eight lead changes in the first 13 minutes. It was not until the final two minutes of the half that the Hoosiers opened their lead.

Dumes – who went 4-of-4 from the field in the opening 20 minutes – nailed a deep 3-pointer to ignite an 8-0 run to close the half, while Iowa committed two costly turnovers and several fouls to put the Hoosiers on the line.

Once the Hoosiers stomped their foot on the gas pedal in the first half, the intensity led to what could play out to be their last win of the season – the satisfaction of which might carry over a bit longer. 

“There’s no question, it wears on everybody,” Crean said. “And tomorrow will be a little bit different feeling going in to work.

“Everybody’s going to be a little lighter.”