IU had a tough time making shots Monday night - unless it was from the foul line.
The Hoosiers made 23-of-28 free throws in their 78-65 victory against Ferris State, led by a perfect 12-of-12 effort from sophomore forward Christian Watford.
By contrast, Ferris State was 20-of-38 from the charity stripe.
If the Bulldogs had been able to make their free throws, it probably would have been a darker end to the exhibition schedule for the Hoosiers. It also could have meant an even bigger night for Ferris State forward Justin Keenan.
Keenan dominated the post for 21 points - 14 in the first half - and 6 rebounds. But he missed a team-high six free throws, and half of them came at at a critical point for his team.
With the Hoosiers in the middle of their comeback with 3:10 remaining in regulation. Keenan was put to the line with his Bulldogs up by 10, and he bricked both attempts. After a layup from IU guard Jeremiah Rivers, Keenan was hacked and put on the line, making just 1-of-2. Maurice Creek then made a 3-pointer, and the comeback was on.
Keenan didn't help the cause by putting Hoosiers at the foul line, as he fouled out with 1:06 on the clock and a six-point lead. Victor Oladipo made him pay by knocking down both free throws, the last play before he drilled a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left and got fouled.
And, given the way things had gone at the line all night, it's no surprise what happened next.
It's a big area of improvement for IU, a team that finished 10th in the Big Ten last season in free throw percentage. Even guys who shot under 60 percent last season had a solid night at the line, with Tom Pritchard making both his chances and Rivers making 3-of-4. Oladipo was also perfect from the line, finished 5-of-5.
Only sophomore forward Derek Elston struggled, going 0-of-3.
