Well, in the end it's another win for the Hoosiers, 77-69.
But it certainly didn't come with a whole ton of ease. IU only shot 33 percent in the first half and a scrappy Western Michigan squad took the lead into halftime, 30-27.
It was a rather sloppy affair in the first 20 minutes, with loose balls, steals and turnovers being the norm.
But IU buckled down a bit midway through the second half, (very similar to the SIU game) starting making its shots and the defense helped the cause with numerous steals, which led to fast break points.
A few players of note:
A.J. Ratliff had another solid game and perhaps is getting that consistency he's so often lacked in his career as a Hoosier. He hit IU's first bucket of the game with a 3-pointer. He then helped seal the deal for IU near the end of the game as he tipped in a missed bucket with his left hand, then stole the ball on the ensuing Western Michigan possession and dribbled down the court for a dunk. He finished with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
D.J. White tallied another double-double, amassing 16 points and 10 boards. He also had five blocks, a few of which were downright filthy.
Earl Calloway, who has seen varying playing time so far this season, played a good chunk of both halves. He had a team-best 20 points. He got to the line a lot and nailed 10-of-11 free throws.
Lance Stemler continues to struggle post-concussion. He was 1-of-5 shooting in the first half and didn't see the court in the second.
One last thought:
Something happened tonight that hadn't happened all season to the Hoosiers. They were outrebounded. The Broncos grabbed 43 to IU's 26.
OK, I'm all done. Thoughts anyone?
