IU trumps Pitt, 74-64

NEW YORK – Sophomore guard Verdell Jones  drove with a determined look on his face before turning on his pivot foot to drain a midrange jump shot.

The basket gave IU a 45-37 lead against Pittsburgh, its biggest of the game at that point, as “Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers” chants rang from the Madison Square Garden  crowd.
The passion the Hoosiers had become known for was on display, and they rode it to a 74-64 win.

“It really feels good to finally get that win,” Jones said. “We’ve come close in other big games. And to finally get the big ‘W,’ it means a lot.”

Sophomore forward Tom Pritchard  had foul trouble once again, but he sparked IU in the game’s opening moments.

He seemed a shell of himself early in the season, but Tuesday saw a different player begin IU’s game against the Panthers, as Pritchard opened with an early basket and a subsequent dunk.

Pittsburgh would answer with a quick 3-pointer from guard Brad Wanamaker, which began a sequence where IU and Pittsburgh traded baskets in a game that began faster than expected.

The pace didn’t have much bearing on the Hoosiers’ output, however.

They played the game with even scoring and continued to pour points on Pittsburgh.

Early in the second half, the Hoosiers would put the Panthers in a 17-point hole  they could never climb out of.

With scatterings of IU fans in the stands, the arena grew louder with every basket from Jones or freshman forward Christian Watford.

Freshman guard Maurice Creek also played well in the latter stages Tuesday night.

Their performances helped IU maintain its lead in a contest that might mean more to its season than any other, with Kentucky and the Big Ten season right around the corner.

Watford said there was no doubt in his team’s mind they could pull off an upset against a team that received top 25 votes just a week ago.

“We all knew we could do it, just from the beginning,” he said. “And it finally showed up tonight.”

The Hoosiers had even play throughout, with five IU players scoring seven points or more. They also only committed 10 turnovers  while forcing Pittsburgh into 15.

No matter how much trouble his team had offensively, Pittsburgh guard Ashton Gibbs tried his hardest to keep them in the game.

He had 14 points in the first half and ended the game with 25 on the night. Wanamaker finished second on the team in scoring with 18 points.

Jones had 22 points, Watford ended with 16 and Creek came on late to score eight. IU was 24-of-53 shooting as a team and went 73.5 percent from the free-throw line with 25 makes.

Pittsburgh only made 12 free throws.

IU led 33-29 after the first half and began to get out in the open floor during the second half. Junior guard Jeremiah Rivers put his first basket of the game in on a lob-pass from Jones and the layups would continue for IU.

Late in the game, the foul-and-press mentality came from Pittsburgh.

The Panthers used it to provide a minor scare, bringing the game to within six  with 53 seconds remaining.

A quick timeout seemed to calm the Hoosiers, though, as Jones made one of two ensuing free throws to all but seal the victory.

The game fittingly ended in Jones’ hands, and he dribbled out the clock before putting in one final layup, and exiting in front of a small crowd of IU fans.

The team received a steady clap, and Jones said IU no longer has the unstable direction it once had.

“I think leadership coming into this game was shaky,” he said. “I think me and Christian stepped up and took that leadership role on. I think people just did what they did best. They didn’t try to step out of their comfort zone and do things they’re no used to.”

On a night where he gained his 200th career victory, IU coach Tom Crean said Tuesday’s finish came at the best possible time.

“More than anything else, they needed something to go right for them,” he said. “They needed a signature win for themselves.”