Against many NCAA Tournament teams, the inexperienced IU men's basketball team likely would have taken an 11-for-40 shooting half to the locker room with a double-digit deficit.
But tonight, the Hoosiers trail just 36-33, 20 minutes into action at Assembly Hall against LIU Brooklyn.
Sophomore guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrel started the game off with a 3-pointer from the right corner just 20 seconds into the game. From there, the Hoosiers missed 16-straight shots from beyond the arc.
Indiana shot just 27.5 percent from the field in the first half, but got to the line enough to knock down 10-of-14 from the charity stripe to stay in the game.
The Hoosiers trailed by as many as eight points midway through the half until Vonleh broke the drought with a hook shot in the lane after more than five minutes of scoreless IU basketball
Bu the deficit grew once again, and it took some energy from freshman guard Stanford Robinson in the closing minute to tighten the gap for the Hoosiers.
Robinson went 1-for-2 in a trip to the free throw line and then made a bucket the next time down the floor. With just 18 seconds left, he led a breakaway that ended with an uncontested two-handed slam.
Graduate student guard Evan Gordon launched a 3-pointer from beyond the NBA 3-point line at the buzzer, but it missed the mark.
Vonleh leads the Hoosiers with 10 points at the halfway point. Ferrell follows with nine.
