Hoosiers prove to be just good enough in win

EVANSTON, Ill. — It was a win. That’s all that matters.

When IU (15-11, 5-8) took down Northwestern (12-16, 5-10) Saturday night 61-56, it wasn’t always the prettiest of affairs.

The Hoosiers finished the game shooting 27 percent from behind the arc, and shot a woeful 9-of-18 from the free throw line.

But balance and consistency outweighed the lack of sharpness. IU secured their first road win in 42 days.

Will Sheehey, Noah Vonleh, Troy Williams and Yogi Ferrell all scored 12 points.

Sheehey and Vonleh finished with identical lines, both going 5-of-11 from the field. Ferrell was 5-of-10 and Williams was the most efficient, finishing 5-of-7.

When IU has this kind of consistent scoring balance from four of their starters, they are tough to beat.

IU doesn’t have to play perfect. They just have to play good enough.

This is something lacking from this current squad. They either play out of their minds, or lay an egg. Gray has not been an IU color this year.

But credit has to be given to the Wildcats.

The first words out of Coach Chris Collins’ mouth in the post-game press conference were, “I’m so proud of my team.”

He absolutely should be.

Collins said Northwestern had only about seven viable players in the rotation due to injuries and suspensions.

“Chris is going to be an outstanding coach for a long, long time,” IU Coach Tom Crean said.

Northwestern cut it to a four-point game with 2 minutes 21 seconds remaining. But a Troy Williams layup followed by an enormous Sheehey three as the shot clock wound down gave IU the necessary cushion.

The Wildcats are not an exceptionally talented team. But man, they bust their behinds. That’s why this Hoosier win was so impressive.

Nobody wearing a cream and crimson uniform had an amazing day. The best performance was Williams, who had a Big Ten-high 12 points and no turnovers in 23 minutes.

Williams usually has no regard for his own safety. He flies around like a mad man, not afraid of breaking his or his opponents back. This aggression has both good and bad consequences.

But Williams has had better games. Every player on that IU roster has had better performances. The Hoosier attack wasn’t proficient, but balanced.

IU fans have seen this team win with their A game (Wisconsin and Michigan).
Against Northwestern in a campus brimming with A’s everywhere, IU won with their B game.

Which is even more impressive, arguably, for this team.

—­ehoopfer@indiana.edu