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(12/06/04 4:49am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- After a bizarre first quarter that saw three onside kicks and 24 points put up by the Tennessee Titans, the Indianapolis Colts' defense dug in and helped pull out a 51-24 victory Sunday in front of 57,278 fans at the RCA Dome.\nThe Titans recovered two of the onside kicks, keeping the Colts' offense off the field, and quarterback Billy Volek threw three touchdowns to Drew Bennett to give Tennessee a 24-17 first quarter lead.\nIndianapolis coach Tony Dungy told his team to expect the unexpected against the undermanned Titans (4-8).\n"It was a tough one, and we knew it would be a tough one," Dungy said. "We talked all week how Tennessee would come up here and play, and so we knew there were going to be some things happening in the game that weren't going to be like a standard game. I thought once we got through the first quarter, we settled down and played better."\nThe turning point came in the second quarter when the Colts' Montae Reagor blocked a Tennessee field goal attempt. Linebacker Rob Morris scooped up the ball and ran it back 68 yards to give the Colts a 31-24 lead they would not relinquish.\n"It took the wind out of them," Reagor said. "They were coming in with some gadgets, onside kick every other kick. They were doing the things they needed to do to win, but we weathered the storm, and we got the job done, and that's all that matters."\nIndianapolis (9-3) got another solid day from quarterback Peyton Manning as he moved closer to history with his 42nd, 43rd, and 44th touchdowns of the year. With four games to go, Manning is just four short of Dan Marino's record of 48 touchdowns in a season set in 1984. Manning finished the day 25 of 33 for 425 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.\n"Obviously with our speed, we're able to stretch the defense a little bit and create some holes," Manning said. "A number of the plays we ran today were the same plays, we just had good solid route running and were able to find some holes in their zone defense."\nManning threw touchdown passes to Marvin Harrison, Brandon Stokley and Reggie Wayne. Manning has now hooked up with Harrison for 80 touchdowns in their career, ranking the duo second all-time to only Steve Young and Jerry Rice who have 85. Manning has also had multi-touchdown games 12 straight times, tying him with former Baltimore Colt great Johnny Unitas.\nEdgerrin James had a strong day, rushing for 105 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns, showing once again opposing defenses can't focus on Manning and the passing attack.\n"I don't know statistically what it is, but obviously we have been on a hot streak here," Manning said. "Execution has been sound in November, and that's the idea to keep it going in the month of December and hopefully get in the playoffs. The idea is to always be playing the best football in December and January."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. \nHoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.
(11/10/04 5:41am)
For most teams, a 5-3 record and a share of a division lead would constitute a good first half of the season, but the Indianapolis Colts aren't most teams.\nExpectations were high after last season's trip to the AFC Conference finals, but after an opening week loss to defending champion New England coupled with back-to-back losses to Jacksonville and Kansas City, the Colts entered Monday night's game needing a win.\nIndianapolis came out and played one of its better games of the year, winning 31-28 over the Minnesota Vikings on a last-second field goal by Mike Vanderjagt. Peyton Manning threw four touchdown passes, and the Colts defense showed improvement.\nNow the Colts are tied atop the AFC South with Jacksonville at 5-3, and the two teams split the season series. Their remaining opponents' records are nearly even, so there could be a battle down the stretch.
(10/25/04 5:02am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts could have taken a strong hold on the AFC South divisional lead Sunday when they faced the second-place Jacksonville Jaguars. Instead, Jacksonville (5-2) now finds itself with a half-game lead following its 27-24 win against the Colts at the RCA Dome.\nThe Jaguars' Byron Leftwich again used late-game heroics to seal the win. The second-year quarterback led Jacksonville on a 3:14 drive, capped off by the go-ahead, 53-yard field goal by Josh Scobee to put Jacksonville up by three with 0:38 to play.\n"We were on the outer edge of what we felt comfortable kicking from," said Jacksonville Coach Jack Del Rio. "Certainly, he's capable of making that, but we didn't want to take a high-risk kick and possibly give them the ball if we got too far out of range. We were being aggressive and going after it -- knowing that if we got within his range he could make it."\nComing off the bye week, Indianapolis (4-2) did not look sharp. The team committed two turnovers and had a season-high 12 penalties. The Colts had won four straight since their opening week loss to the Patriots.\n"The mark of a really good team is to play well week in and week out, and that was our goal today, to continue on with that momentum we had," said Indianapolis Coach Tony Dungy. "But we really didn't get that done. We played a very good team, and they outplayed us."\nThe Colts held a 14-10 halftime lead, but it was in the third quarter where Jacksonville gained its energy. The Jaguars held onto the ball for 12:06 and limited the Colts to just seven offensive plays. Jacksonville only got three points in the quarter, but added another field goal 13 seconds into the fourth to make the score 16-14.\nPeyton Manning and Marvin Harrison appeared to hook up on a touchdown pass to take the lead, but Del Rio challenged and the play was overturned. Harrison was ruled out-of-bounds, and the Colts kicked a field goal.\n"The challenge, taking away those four points and having to settle for three there ended up being pretty costly," Manning said. "Jacksonville is an excellent team, and they played well. But I thought we made too many mistakes that really hurt."\nFacing a 17-16 deficit, the Jaguars retook the lead in the fourth quarter on a Leftwich touchdown pass to Jimmy Smith and then added on a two-point conversion to make the score 24-17. Leftwich finished the day 23 of 30 for 300 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. \nManning pulled the Colts even at 24 with 3:52 remaining when he threw a strike to Harrison. Manning had three touchdowns to go along with 368 yards passing, and Harrison had two scores.\nIt was then that Leftwich and the Jaguars marched down the field for the game-winning score.\n"We wished we could have a lot played better." said Colts' defensive back Jason David. "They came out here, had a great game plan and had a great offensive scheme today. You can't always get the ones you want. So we just have to prepare for next weekend and do a better job."\nThe two teams split the regular season match-up, each winning on the road. A win for the Colts would have put them in good position to win the division but now it looks like a tougher battle down the road. Manning said the team was aware of the scenario, and that was disappointing.\n"The key is, something we have done a good job of, is responding and bouncing back. We're going on the road to Kansas City. We know it's tough to play there," Manning said. "This one is disappointing, but it is over with. It can't linger."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.
(10/11/04 5:13am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- For the early part of the season, the focus on the Indianapolis Colts has been on quarterback Peyton Manning and the league's No. 4 passing attack. In Sunday's 35-14 win over the Oakland Raiders, running back Edgerrin James reminded everyone that he's still a force on this team, and other teams had better pay attention.\nThe Colts (4-1) rode the legs of James as he carried most of the load, rushing 32 times for 136 yards and one touchdown as well as catching two passes for 19 yards.\n"The guy is playing great for us right now," Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said. "I think this is his 35th 100-yard game in 70 games. So to go half the time that you play to have a 100-yard day, that's phenomenal. When he's running the way he has been running this year, it sets everything else up. It keeps us in short yardage situations, sets up our play action and really makes our unit go."\nAs the Colts came into this week's game, its defense ranked last in the league overall and it continued to struggle with injuries. But this week the defense held the Raiders to 14 points, a season low for the defense. The unit also forced three Kerry Collins interceptions with one returned by Jason David 34 yards for a touchdown.\n"We kind of take pride making some big plays out there," David said. "People think that we are such a bad defense, but I think this game kind of set the tone for the rest of the season ... Everyone was out there contributing, and that's what you need to have a great defense."\nThe Colts' offense took little time getting on the board and taking the lead when Manning hooked up with James Mungro on a one-yard touchdown pass just six minutes into the game. Indianapolis scored two more times in the first half with touchdown passes to Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, and led 21-7 at the half. Manning finished the day 16 of 26 for 198 yards and three touchdowns.\n"The Raiders have a very talented squad and a lot of big play athletes, and we had some guys that had to step up and play bigger roles than they normally do," Dungy said. "They did it well. I thought it was as complete a team win as we've had in a couple of years here."\nIt was in the third quarter that James took over. He rushed the ball eight times for 65 yards, which was more yards than he had in the first half. James finally broke into the end zone a minute and a half into the fourth quarter, capping off a drive in which he carried the ball six times for 30 yards.\n"From the first game in New England and throughout, he has run the ball very effectively, broken tackles, hit the holes very well," center Jeff Saturday said. "You have to take your hat off to the guy. He's playing great football right now."\nOn the day, the Colts rushed for a total of 150 yards, giving the team and Dungy a very balanced offensive attack.\n"They were matching up on our receivers and trying to take away the big plays up the field," Dungy said. "So in that situation, you have to run the ball and our offensive line, we kind of told them after the first series of the game, it was going to by that type of day. They did a good job. I thought Edgerrin ran well, and Dominic (Rhodes) ran well when he got in there."\nThe Colts now enter a bye week, which will give the team a chance to rest up and get people healthy. They return to action Oct. 24 in an important AFC South battle against Jacksonville. But for now, Manning and the rest of the Colts are happy to be playing the way they are and hope it continues the rest of the season.\n"We're disappointed that we're not 5-0, but we are 4-1," Manning said. "But no question, in a short time we have come out of the blocks playing really good football, and I thought today might have been the best overall effort team wise. It was true Colts football with all three phases contributing, and the key now is to just keep going."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. \nHoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.
(09/27/04 4:58am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- All of the talk leading up to this week's matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the Green Bay Packers focused on the quarterbacks and the shootout the two would have. Peyton Manning and Brett Favre didn't disappoint.\nManning and Favre combined for 751 passing yards and nine touchdown passes, but it was Manning and the Colts who came out on top Sunday, 45-31, in front of 57,280 fans in the Colts' home opener.\n"We knew we were going to have to score some points," Manning said. "Our offense felt challenged going into this week against their defense and also staying ahead of their offense and outscore them. We knew we had to be on offensively."\nThe Colts (2-1) started the game with 22 straight passes and didn't rush the ball until the second quarter. Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said he was surprised his team passed that many times without a run but said the air attack was something they planned on doing.\n"We felt we had some good matchups," Dungy said. "We knew they were going to pressure us, and we would get some one-on-ones. But that was a little bit unusual."\nBoth teams looked sharp early on, combining for 35 points in the first quarter. But the Colts continued their attack and took a 35-17 lead into halftime. The Packers responded and cut the lead to seven in the fourth quarter. Dungy knew the halftime lead was not safe with Favre behind center.\n"This was a game of two guys who didn't want to lose and have tremendous competitiveness with great personnel around them," Dungy said. "They are going to make things happen. There was no doubt in my mind that when we were up by three scores at halftime, it was still going to be tough, and it was. I hadn't seen Brett in three years, and I can't say that I miss him."\nThe play of the game came with 6:28 remaining in the fourth quarter, and the Packers (1-2) driving for the tying score. The Colts' Jason David stripped Packers wide receiver Javon Walker of the ball, and safety Nick Harper recovered for Indianapolis. Manning led the Colts on a four-minute scoring drive to seal the win.\n"Jason made a big play, obviously a momentum changer," Dungy said. "He had a tough day. He got beaten on one coverage and made a mistake on coverage. But the thing you like about (David) he plays with a lot of energy and he keeps working. That is what you have to do in these types of games."\nManning not only won the game but also the battle between him and Favre. Manning finished the game 28 of 40 for 393 yards and five touchdowns. Favre finished 30 of 44 for 358 and four scores and completed his 4,000th pass in his career, becoming just the third person to do so. Manning praised his offensive line and his receivers for getting open.\n"That's the thing with this offense -- you have a lot of weapons," Manning said. "Obviously, Marvin (Harrison) is going to get a lot of the attention but that allows some other one-on-one matchups. Brandon (Stokley) made some great catches. So did Reggie (Wayne) ... I don't see this as a win against Brett Favre. I see this as a win against the Packers."\nManning's favorite target on the day was Wayne, who had a career-high 184 yards on 11 catches and hauled in one touchdown. Stokley also had a career-high with 110 yards on eight catches. Wayne said that as a receiver, he loves this type of offense.\n"This was just another," Wayne said. "Going into this game, we knew it would be a track meet. We prepared for it all week."\nNow the Colts prepare to take on the surprise Jacksonville Jaguars who led the AFC South with a 3-0 record after a win Sunday over the Tennessee Titans. For right now, Dungy and the Colts will relish this win.\n"We played well enough to win against a real good team," Dungy said. "We are happy about that."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. \nHoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.
(08/09/04 1:24am)
TERRE HAUTE -- Amid the 90-degree heat Tuesday at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, the Indianapolis Colts ran through the offense that led them to 12 wins, the AFC South Division title and a berth in the AFC Championship last season. The Colts were ranked No. 1 in scoring offense in the NFL and No. 2 overall.\nEven with all of their recent success, they think they can be even better.\n"Each year we come out with the mindset to improve some facet of our game that wasn't where we wanted it last year," center Jeff Saturday said. "We know our goal that we need to improve on. I think we can do it. I think we as an offense have a good mindset and good mind frame to come out there in camp and get the things done we need to work on."\nThe big question for the Colts during training camp is the defense. The squad was No. 7 last year overall, but the loss of some keys veterans could hurt the team. New players are going to have to adjust to coach Tony Dungy's style.\n"I think defense is really being aggressive, being quick, making the other team react," Dungy said. "We don't really keep an eye on the rest of the league and what they're doing. We try to get our thing kind of tailored the best we can."\nOne loss on defense already is safety Bob Sanders, who was the Colts' first pick in the draft and has yet to have signed. Veteran offensive tackle Tarik Glenn has also missed some practices due to arriving at the camp overweight.\nQuarterback and last year's NFL co-MVP Peyton Manning said the team is off to a fast start. He said he is happy with the team's depth, especially at running back, tight end and wide receiver.\n"In years past, if Marvin (Harrison) and Edgerrin (James) weren't in there, or Marvin and Reggie (Wayne), there was a little bit of a drop-off with whoever was the three or the four," Manning said. "We have six or seven receivers now. You can throw a lot of guys in there and get good execution of the play. There's no drop-off there. That's a good problem to have."\nUntil last season, there had been questions as to whether or not Manning could win the big game. \nAfter failing in his first three attempts, Manning won his first two playoff games last season as the Colts reached the AFC Championship for the first time since 1995.\nIndianapolis lost to New England 24-14, and the Patriots are the favorites to win it all again. Now the Colts must clear the next hurdle and reach the Super Bowl. \n"I think they've got to find a way, whatever that way is, whether it's mental toughness or whatever, to get to the next level," ESPN analyst Mike Ditka said. "How good is good? They're good, but I mean the only thing that really counts ever is, can they bring home the big prize?"\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.
(03/22/04 6:11am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- During IU's two games in the Big Ten Tournament March 11 and 12, two new heroes emerged for IU. Former walk-ons turned offensive sparks junior guards Ryan Tapak and Mark Johnson led the Hoosiers.\nComing off the bench, Tapak had six points and 11 assists while Johnson chipped in with a career-high 13 points in a first round win over Ohio State. Johnson led the team and set another career-high with 16 points the next day against then-No. 12 Illinois in the 71-59 loss that ended the Hoosiers season. Johnson scored 11 points all season.\n"This was a great tournament for us because it taught me so many things about what a basketball team is all about," IU coach Mike Davis said. "I thought Mark Johnson and Ryan Tapak and (junior forward) Mike Roberts did a great job of bringing some energy and emotion to this basketball team. We have all those guys back next year so it should be a great summer for them knowing that their coach is going to give them an opportunity to play if they work hard."\nIn the two games, Johnson was a combined 7-15 behind the arc and a perfect 8-8 from the foul line. After not getting much time during the season, Johnson said the tournament was a growing experience.\n"I know what I need to do this summer and next fall to become a leader on this team and what my role will be in the future," Johnson said. "We have a great core of players coming back and we just need to develop our underclassmen and have them understand what it means to wear the Indiana jersey. I think we have a lot to grow on, a lot to build on, and with that we'll be back next year."\nBoth Tapak and Johnson started the year as walk-ons, but Davis gave them scholarships midway through the season. With the possibility of five recruits coming in next year, there may not be enough scholarships to go around, leaving Tapak and Johnson out.\nJohnson said it doesn't matter if he has a scholarship or not and said he will give the same effort every time out. Davis said things always have a way of working themselves out and said Johnson and Tapak should have scholarships.\n"If they don't have a scholarship, then it's not going to change them," Davis said. "They're still going to fight as hard as they fought this year. That's the shame of it all. I rewarded them with a scholarship this year, and those parents couldn't thank me enough. It's just something that I had to experience for myself to understand it, and now I do."\nIU (14-15) needed at least two wins in the Big Ten Tournament to secure a trip to the National Invitational Tournament. The Hoosiers were tied with Illinois at 54 with 4:53 remaining, but the Illini closed the game on a 15-3 run.\n"It hurts because it comes down to pride," senior forward A.J. Moye said. "If we were 14-15, and we gave everything we had (this year), I'd be OK with that. But we didn't...The last couple of games don't hurt as bad because we battled. It was great to be on the floor with guys that I knew were going to battle."\nAfter their play in the tournament, the two guards will now have a chance to earn more minutes next season. Johnson said he knows he has a lot to work on this summer. \n"Whatever happens, happens. Next year is next year, and who knows what that could be." Johnson said. "All I can do is go out there and play with my heart every game; that's what coach Davis wants. And if you take shots and miss shots, he doesn't care about that. He just wants five guys to be out there and play with their hearts and to know what it means to represent Indiana."\nDavis said he thought about playing Tapak and Johnson earlier in the season. Johnson said he understands that Davis would want to go with the players he recruited. Davis said he should have rewarded those who worked hard in practice and got the job done.\n"When you go back and watch this team and think about the last two games, you saw a different basketball team then you've seen all year. There's no one to blame to me." Davis said. "If you think about our season, we lost games by two points, two points, two points and three points and never executed the whole game. We never played with that kind of passion. If we played anywhere like this during the season, I mean it's just a totally different basketball team."
(03/12/04 5:46am)
INDIANAPOLIS --With 8:15 to go in the second half and IU and Ohio State tied at 58, the Hoosiers took the lead with the unlikeliest of candidates.\nJunior Mark Johnson, a former walk-on, hit a three-pointer and helped lead the Hoosiers (14-14) to an 83-69 win over Ohio State (14-16) in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament.\n"I'm just playing within the offense and seeing what happens," Johnson said. "I didn't realize what the score was. I got the pass. I was open, and I stroked it. It took a lot of pressure off of me and made me feel more comfortable out there."\nJohnson finished with a career-high 13 points, shooting 3-6 behind the arc. In three years at IU, Johnson had only scored 11 total points.\nBut Johnson wasn't the only unlikely hero in the game. Junior guard Ryan Tapak dished out a career-high 11 assists, and junior forward Mike Roberts played 20 minutes and scored six points.\n"I thought Tapak and Johnson and (junior forward) Mike Roberts did a great job of getting us into our offense and really executing," Davis said. "It was the first time this year we've looked like a basketball team."\nDavis hinted earlier this week at practice that different players may see some action if the Hoosiers got down early. IU trailed by as many as 11 in the first half when Roberts, Tapak and Johnson all got in.\n"I've been waiting to get in for a long time, and I'm just glad I got the opportunity," Johnson said. "Just running through the offense and cutting hard, it just opened up a lot. When I hit that first shot, it took a lot of pressure off of me. (Sophomore guard) Bracey (Wright) started hitting his shot, and everything just started flowing and started feeling real well."\nOSU coach Jim O'Brien gave credit to the Hoosiers guards and said no matter who is on the floor, you have to guard them. Sophomore forward Terrence Dials said they know those guys are good.\n"You know that if they're on a basketball team at this level, especially Indiana, they've got to be pretty good," Dials said. "They got hot. A lot of things fell for them. They played a good game."\nSome may question why Davis didn't play Johnson and Tapak more during the regular season. He too questioned himself on that. But Tapak said he has recognized his role on this team.\n"We understand coming in as walk-ons, you know that it's not your place to come in and start and play a lot of minutes, or even play," Tapak said. "That's for the big scholarship athletes -- to come in so highly rated and earn their way by playing well in AAU and high school. We just have to keep going. We have enough pride to know that if that's all we can do, is to make practice like our games."\nJohnson and Tapak have had success all season, but it was on the practice court against the starters. Today they found success in one of IU's best games of the year. Tapak said it was a kind of attitude adjustment.\n"We came in, and I think we came in with a little cockiness to us," Tapak said. "Well, we got nothing to lose, might as well go out and play as hard as we can. Ohio State's not supposed to lose to some walk-ons. So it's just a cockiness thing -- hey, let's go out and try and bust them like we do in practice every day."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.
(03/11/04 6:00am)
A new season will begin today. \nAll of those two-point home losses are gone. The Hoosiers (13-14, 7-9 Big Ten) have a chance to forget all of that and make a run to a postseason berth.\nEighth seed IU starts the Big Ten Tournament at noon Thursday against ninth seed Ohio State (14-15, 6-10) at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.\nThe Hoosiers need to win the Big Ten Tournament if they hope to reach the NCAA Tournament. They need at least two wins to guarantee a National Invitational Tournament bid.\n"We believe we can win," sophomore guard Marshall Strickland said. "We just need to go out there and play as hard as we can and play like it could be our last game, every game."\nOhio State and IU split their meetings this year, each winning on the opposing court. IU lost by three, 59-56, Feb. 21 when the OSU big men went to work.\nBuckeye senior center Velimir Radinovic scored 23 points and had 10 rebounds. Sophomore forward Terence Dials had 16 points and 10 rebounds. \n"You know they're going to go to the post, so fight the post," IU coach Mike Davis said. "I can't fight the post for them. It's no surprise. When you watch tape, we know exactly what they're going to do. You've got to keep fighting."\nThis will be IU's second trip to Conseco this season. The Hoosiers defeated Xavier 80-77, Nov. 29. The in-state venue could bring in extra fans, but junior guard Ryan Tapak said it will take more than just the fans.\n"It's not about anything outside of the five guys on the court playing for Indiana," Tapak said. "We're going to have more fans. Even at our away games, we've had a lot of fans, so we have the support. We probably have more support than anyone in the country.\n"We've played at Conseco a lot. It's going to be a friendly environment. It's just a matter of executing."\nSenior center George Leach said he thinks IU can make a run at the title.\n"But it starts first with buying into the system," Leach said. "If we come out here and we bust our butts on defense and get the offense right, then I think we can go real far. But if we don't do that, then we'll lose."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.
(03/08/04 6:06am)
As the losses continue to mount for the Hoosiers, so does the frustration. \nIU finished with its first losing regular season since 1969-70, as No. 17 Wisconsin won 70-52 Saturday in Assembly Hall.\nNow, without a championship in next week's Big Ten Tournament, the Hoosiers (13-14, 7-9 Big Ten) won't make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 18 years. Without at least two wins in the Big Ten Tournament, the Hoosiers won't even make the National Invitational Tournament.\n"I'm looking forward to a tournament atmosphere up in Conseco," sophomore guard Bracey Wright said. "I'm looking forward to everybody coming in 0-0, clean slate. It's win or go home right now for us. It's going to be fun to see how we respond."\nThe possibility of not making the NCAA Tournament is not sitting well with some Hoosiers. Wright had already said he doesn't want to play in the NIT. Senior guard A.J. Moye made the same case Saturday.\n"That's a loser's tournament. It might be inappropriate to say, but that's what it is," Moye said. "I played for the (NCAA) National Championship. The NIT doesn't excite me. I want to get in the tournament. We've got to win all of these games.\n"It's just about getting on the boat. Right now, it's easy for us to quit. So whoever wants to get off the boat, get off the boat. Whoever wants to get on, get on 'cause the ship's leaving. I'm trying to win. I won't play in no NIT. That's a joke."\nThat mentality does not sit well with IU coach Mike Davis. He said had the team taken care of its home games, then it wouldn't be in this position. At 13-14, he said the team should pray they can get into the NIT.\nJunior guard and Indiana native Ryan Tapak said the team should go wherever it can.\n"You still play wherever we're supposed to go play, whether it be the NIT or NCAA," Tapak said. "I mean, it's an honor to put on the Indiana jersey, and if you don't want to go out and put it on, then don't put it on. That's how I feel about that."\nThe focus now shifts to the Big Ten Tournament, where No. 8 seed IU will match up with No. 9 seed Ohio State at noon Thursday. If the Hoosiers win, they will have to face Big Ten Champion Illinois Friday.\n"We just have one last breath," sophomore guard Marshall Strickland said. "We're going to play every game like it's our last. As long as we win, we keep playing, and that's going to be out motto going into the tournament."\nIU got off to a quick start Saturday and led by has many as five. The Hoosiers led by two with 13:32 left in the half, but Wisconsin (21-6, 12-4) outscored IU 24-7 the rest of the way, leaving IU trailing by 15 at the half. Wisconsin junior guard Devin Harris scored 16 of his game-high 26 in the first half.\n"Tonight they got off to an OK start, but Devin Harris got off to a great start," Davis said. "When you looked up, it was 22-16, and Harris had 16 of the 22 points. How do you overcome that when one of their guys has 16 points? It's Indiana -- 16, Devin Harris -- 16. That really hurt."\nIU must now win four games in four days in order to receive the Big Ten's automatic bid to the NCAA. The Hoosiers must win at least two or be faced with the prospect that their season is over.\n"It's unlike any other thing that you have to go through except for when you play AAU basketball in the summer," Wright said. "Four games in four days -- the NBA really doesn't do that much. It will be tough. It will be fun to see how we will respond. Teams are going to be tired, and everybody's going to be tired. It's just who wants it."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.
(03/04/04 5:08am)
Three IU players had career nights in three different categories as the Hoosiers pulled out their first home win in over a month Wednesday as they defeated Michigan, 61-56.\nSophomore guard Marshall Strickland scored a career-high 21 points on 7-17 shooting, 5-10 behind the arc, to lead the Hoosiers (13-13, 7-8 Big Ten). Senior forward A.J. Moye had 15 rebounds, and senior center George Leach was a presence on the defensive end with seven blocks.\n"I thought Marshall Strickland was tremendous for their team," Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said. "They made eight threes, and one of our points of emphasis was trying to defend the three-point line, and it doesn't look like we did a good job looking at the percentage they shot."\nStrickland bested his career-high set earlier this year by one point. He said the team fed off the energy brought to the court by Michigan (16-10, 7-8). He said the team was able get up and down the floor a lot faster, creating open looks.\n"Even the shots I missed, I thought they were going down," Strickland said. "I was surprised they left me open that long."\nWhile the rest of the team combined hit 12 shots, Strickland stepped up and scored 14 of his 21 in the second half. Sophomore guard Bracey Wright said he was happy with the way Strickland played.\n"He had a really hot hand and I told everybody, 'Just keep going to him. Find him wherever he is. Ride his hand until he cools down,' -- and that's what he did," Wright said. "He came through for us."\nAmaker called Moye a terror on the backboards and thought his toughness around the rim and guarding bigger guys was a key for the Hoosiers. Moye's previous career-high was 13 rebounds against Wisconsin Jan 6.\nIU coach Mike Davis said Moye did a great job on the boards.\n"He had 15 rebounds and 10 were defensive rebounds, and that may be the first time he's gotten more than three or four defensive rebounds," Davis said. "For him to get 10 was big."\nThe seven blocks in a game marks the third time Leach has accomplished the feat. His final one came in the closing seconds with the Hoosiers up three. Davis said the play made him nervous because he didn't want Leach to foul.\n"That's good and bad because we want George to play position basketball," Davis said. "We want him to try to take away the passes to the post and not go for the blocks and just play good position basketball."\nAs the season ends, the Hoosiers will need more performances like this one from their two seniors if they hope to go out strong.\n"They were huge for us," Strickland said. "They play with a lot of energy, and they do what they do best. George was blocking shots, and A.J. was fighting and getting rebounds and loose balls. With those playing with that kind of energy and playing their game, we're a really tough team"
(03/03/04 5:44am)
When the 2004 McDonald's All-Americans take to the floor in Oklahoma City, IU's nationally-ranked recruiting class will be well represented. Power forwards Josh Smith and D.J. White will participate for the East team in the March 31 contest.\n"It's a great honor for both kids," IU coach Mike Davis said. "I was disappointed that Robert (Vaden) didn't make it because I think Robert Vaden is one of the top players in the country, too. He definitely should have been there. It's just great for both kids. It can't really do anything for them, (it's) just a great experience for them. You hope they defend 'cause, really, there's not a lot of defense being played in those games."\nTexas' class, ranked No. 1 in most polls, will have three members playing in the game. IU, along with UCLA, Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina, has two recruits playing in the 24-member game. Sophomore guard Bracey Wright was a McDonald's All-American in 2002, as was former IU basketball player Jared Jeffries in 2000.\nThe last time IU had two McDonald's All-Americans in one year was 1989, when Greg Graham and Pat Graham were named to the squads.\nSmith said he plans on participating in the dunk contest and will just go out and have a good time.\n"I know I'll do good, so I'm not worried about that," Smith said. "It's an all-star game, and people usually don't take those too seriously ... It's an honor. I'm really excited to play."\nThe 6-foot-9 Smith led Oak Hill Academy to a 38-0 record and the No. 1 ranking by USA Today. Oak Hill coach Steve Smith said Josh is exciting to coach because of his versatility. He averaged 22.3 points per game and grabbed more than 200 rebounds. \nSmith said Josh is looking forward to it.\n"These all-star games are rewards for their high school careers," Steve Smith said. "It's a fun time, but at the same time, they all want to play well. Twelve of the best players in the country are on his team. He's looking forward to showcasing his skills."\nSmith has coached 18 McDonald's All-Americans in his 19 years at Oak Hill. He said Josh ranks up there with the best at his position.\n"He's by far the most athletic," Smith said. "He can run and jump better than the others. He plays the same position as Carmelo Anthony, Jerry Stackhouse, Ron Mercer and Steve Jackson. They're all in the NBA. He's probably more athletic than all of them, definitely more than Carmelo. He's comparable with all of them."\nWhile Oak Hill is known for producing basketball talent, White is the first representative from Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa, Ala., a distinction he is proud of accomplishing.\n"It boosts the school," White said. "It puts Hillcrest on the map. It's the first time anyone around here has done it. It's a great honor for me and my town."\nBryant Lancaster, coach at Hillcrest, said coaching White is one of those situations that doesn't come along too often. He said White is well-rounded both on and off the court. \nLancaster compares him to Robert Horry of the San Antonio Spurs.\n"I've had talented players before, but nothing like D.J.," Lancaster said. "He's very coachable and a hard worker ... The thing that stands out is his height at 6-foot-9, but he has the ability to play inside and outside. We're working on his three-pointers. His game is expanding. This kid has a lot of weapons."\nThere has been some speculation that Smith, a top-five talent, may never don the Cream and Crimson but head straight for the NBA. Smith has until May 10 to decide.\n"Right now I'm going to IU," Smith said.\nWhite and Smith met during recruiting visits last summer but have never played on the same team before. White said he's looking forward to hooking up with his future teammate.\n"It will be our first time on the court together to see how each other play," White said. "I'm looking forward to making a big impact as a freshman."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.
(03/03/04 5:31am)
The Hoosiers are reeling, and so are their chances of making any post-season tournament. Tonight, they get a chance to get back on the winning track and stop their four-game losing streak when they take on Michigan at 6 p.m. in Assembly Hall.\nIU (12-13, 6-8 Big Ten) has lost four-straight home games by a combined nine points. The home losing streak is something IU hasn't had since the 1984-85 season. Michigan (16-9, 7-7) has won three of its last four games but has only one road victory in the Big Ten this season. \nIU coach Mike Davis said the goal is to get better the next couple of games.\n"Take it one game at a time, and try to get better. We need to get a win," Davis said. "That's the most important thing -- to get a win -- and hopefully, we can get a win and improve game by game and get some confidence going."\nBack on Jan. 27, IU was sitting atop the Big Ten conference with a 5-1 record. Since then, the Hoosiers have gone 1-7 and dropped to eighth place. While some of the fans' support has diminished in the past few weeks, freshman forward Pat Ewing Jr. said the team just has to play its game.\n"It's not about the fans. It's not about the cameras. It's not about anybody but the five people in white uniforms on this court, and coach and the people on our bench supporting us," Ewing Jr. said. "We know what we need to do, and we just have to execute out there and do what we do best. We have to go back like when we had our five-game win streak. We were first in the Big Ten. People forget about that. Everybody forgot that we had that five-game win streak cause we had these last few losses. \n"We can still do it, though. We all know it. We just have to prove it."\nJunior guard Donald Perry said while the team has played hard in the last two games, they need to learn how to finish games, something they should already know how to do. And though the negativity has affected some players, Perry said the team has to show them they are wrong.\n"We have to give them what they want to see," Perry said. "They want to see us come out here and make shots, make defensive stops, get rebounds, dive on the floor. The fans want to see that. We just got to do it."\nDavis said he is concentrating on getting the team back to .500 and moving into the Big Ten tournament ready to play for the championship.\nEwing Jr. didn't travel to Penn State, which brought IU's last win. He hasn't played in a win since the Jan. 27 Purdue game and personally has lost seven in a row. He said the Michigan game is crucial. \n"I'm really trying to get me a win, for myself and for the team, 'cause once we get rolling again, no team can beat us," Ewing Jr. said. "Every team is getting beat this year except for St. Joseph's and Stanford, but they're beatable. Once we get everything gelled together again, we're not going to break apart. I'll make sure of it myself."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.
(02/26/04 6:34am)
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern used clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch to defeat IU 63-59 Wednesday at Welsh-Ryan Arena. \nNorthwestern (13-12, 7-6 Big Ten) made 13 of 15 freethrows in the final 4:38 to seal the victory.\nThe Wildcats only made one field goal in that span, and the Hoosiers were able to cut it to two points with 3.1 seconds remaining.\nBut it was not enough, and IU (12-13, 6-8) is now in the midst of a four-game losing streak.\n"It's tough when you keep coming up two or three points short every time," sophomore guard Bracey Wright said. "The biggest thing we can't do right now is give up. I'm glad that we didn't, and for however many games left we're going to have, we've got to fight to the end."\nIU trailed 32-22 at the half, but went on a 17-7 run to open the second half. The Hoosiers tied up the game at 39 a piece with 11:35 left when sophomore guard Marshall Strickland hit a three-pointer.\nThe Wildcats would stretch their lead to as many as eight, but the Hoosiers wouldn't go away.\n"I thought it was a pretty well played game," Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said. "They killed us on the backboards like they did in Bloomington. We were fortunate to knock down some foul shots … Indiana didn't quit. They just kept coming at us, coming at us."\nNorthwestern sophomore forward Vedran Vukusic, who did not play against IU the first time the two teams met, led the Wildcats with 23 points and was a perfect 8-8 form the free-throw line.\n"We got ourselves into a position in the first half, and it killed us," senior center George Leach said. "We gave up 20 points to Vukusic and (senior guard) Jitim Young. It's all on defense."\nIU coach Mike Davis was pleased with the effort in the second half. He said he was happy with the improvement some of the players are showing and said it's a learning experience for them. Davis said the team just needs a win to get things going.\n"We're not setting up for the Big Ten Tournament," Davis said. "I'm just trying to win every game. They're trying to win every game. It's just once the confidence goes, it's hard to get it back."\nThe shooting woes continued for Wright. He shot 5-17 and 0-9 behind the arc. Late in the season, it may be tired legs, but that's something he said he has to play through.\n"I can't let that get to me cause if they are, I have to push through it," Wright said. "I think it's just not falling for me. I've got to keep shooting, and that's the only way I'm ever going to get out."\nWright scored a team-high 17, and Strickland ended with 14. Freshman forward Pat Ewing Jr. played 27 minutes, scoring eight points and pulling down 12 rebounds.\nStrickland said the team still has to play loose despite all the pressure they are facing.\n"Every game counts," Strickland said. "We're trying to win every game. We fought hard in the second half particularly. I think that effort will translate into wins. I think it's easy to let it all hang out because that's all we have. All we have is a couple of games left if we don't do it right. I think that is motivation enough to go all out every play."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.
(02/19/04 5:45am)
A foul with 3.6 seconds left and two free throws by Minnesota freshman forward Kris Humphries proved to be the difference as IU lost its third-straight home game, 73-71, to the Golden Gophers (10-14, 2-10 Big Ten).\nSenior center George Leach was whistled for the foul after a three-point attempt by junior guard Ryan Tapak clanked off the rim. Humphries pulled down the board, and sophomore guard Bracey Wright appeared to force a jump ball, but the referee called Leach for his fifth.\n"We wanted one shot, just one shot," IU coach Mike Davis said. "We wanted to work the ball around until there was four seconds. We wanted to make sure when we shot the basketball, the clock was going off because the worst that could happen was overtime."\nIU still had a chance with 3.6 seconds left, and a deep pass found its way to sophomore Marshall Strickland. He forced an off-balance shot, and time expired.\nThe Hoosiers (12-11, 6-6) took a seven-point lead with 3:38 to go on a Wright jumper, but from there, the Gophers outscored IU 11-2. Nine of those points came from Humphries, including two three-pointers.\n"(Humphries) was in a flow, there's no question," Minnesota coach Dan Monson said. "He was the man today."\nThe Gophers tied the game with 17.3 seconds left when junior guard Brent Lawson drove the lane, made the basket and drew a blocking foul on freshman Roderick Wilmont.\n"What can I say, you guys saw the last two minutes of the game, and we couldn't play any dumber than what we played," Davis said. \nLeach's career-high of 26 points was spoiled by the foul at the end. Strickland said it's frustrating that the Hoosiers can't finish out home games.
(02/18/04 5:51am)
With a 12-10 overall record and a 6-5 in the Big Ten, many around Hoosier nation have begun to wonder if IU can make its 19th-straight NCAA appearance. \nBut since the Big Ten went to a 16-game format in the 1997-98 season, every team with at least 10 conference wins has made the Tournament with the exception of ineligible Michigan last year.\nIU has five games remaining -- four of those at home. \nThe first of those home games is at 8 p.m., tonight against the Minnesota Golden Gophers (9-14, 1-9 Big Ten).\nDespite their poor record, the Hoosiers know this is a dangerous team.\n"They're competing in every game. Even when they lose, they're losing at the end of the game," senior forward A.J. Moye said. "They're giving it all that they got ... We can't look at them like that -- they're Minnesota, they're struggling. That's a pretty good team."\nIU coach Mike Davis said he has heard the Big Ten is weak this year, but said show him a conference that is not struggling. He said the Hoosiers got in the NCAAs last year with an 8-8 conference record.\n"So if you're going to talk about taking three or four teams from the Big Ten, who's saying that?" Davis said. "It's not the NCAA committee. It's commentators. I don't want my guys to get caught up in 'we've got to win every game.' We need 10 wins in the Big Ten to be 10-6. And if you're 10-6, that's a lot better than we were last year."\nWhen the Hoosiers met the Gophers in Minneapolis Jan. 24, IU jumped out to an big lead early, but Minnesota's press and zone hampered the Hoosiers. IU was able to pull it out in overtime, 86-81.\nSophomore guard Bracey Wright said the team just needs to watch tape to see what worked and what didn't against the zone. Davis said Minnesota has gotten better since the meeting.\n"Since we've played them, we have taken a step backward, and they've gotten better," Davis said. "They've played some tough games on the road. If I'm us, I'm not overlooking Minnesota at all. I'm coming in playing with every drop of energy that I have to win that basketball game."\nLeading IU in the Minnesota win was sophomore forward Sean Kline who scored all 13 of his points in the second half. But the Hoosiers will be without Kline who is out for the season with a knee injury.\nWith the media and even some fans down on the Hoosiers and their tournament hopes, Moye said it's important to not let the media disrupt them.\n"The most important thing for us is to stay a unit," Moye said. "Staff and player wise, don't listen to the media, and don't listen to even family sometimes. Don't listen to so-called friends, associates. If you listen to the media, they have your head hanging. They spilt teams up. They try to get you to say stuff about teammates. It's important that we stay together, stay positive in the press and most importantly, stay positive in the private."\nWith its tournament hopes all but gone, Minnesota may look to play the spoiler role against the rest of their Big Ten foes. Wright said it's tough to play a team like that, but in many ways, IU is in a similar situation.\n"A lot of teams are thinking that we're out of it right now," Wright said. "The Purdues, the Iowas, they tied with us, and really, they don't think that we're not going to have a chance. So if we can put together this winning streak, we're going to end a lot of hopes for other teams."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.
(02/16/04 5:42am)
WEST LAFAYETTE -- When IU and Purdue met Jan. 27 in Bloomington, the Boilermakers only got to the foul line twice in the game and missed both. Saturday was a completely different story, as Purdue (16-8, 6-5 Big Ten) made a season-high 24 free throws on its way to a 71-56 win in Mackey Arena.\nThe Hoosiers (12-10, 6-5) made two more field goals than the Boilermakers did, but the disparity in free throws was the difference. Purdue was 24-31 for the game, while IU connected on just 6-13.\n"I just think that when we get on the road and the crowd is really into it, you start concentrating on playing hard and playing with intensity and playing smart, but you tend to foul and grab and hold," IU coach Mike Davis said. "No official is going to let you do that on the road."\nIU got into foul trouble early and ended the first half with 14 team fouls. Senior center George Leach and freshman forward Pat Ewing Jr. had two fouls apiece, while sophomore forward Sean Kline had three.\nPurdue coach Gene Keady said having key players out hurt IU and his team's game plan is to attack the interior.\n"Go inside, try to get their big guys into foul trouble if you can," Keady said. "Sure, we always try to do that with every team. Thirty-one free throws and a difference of two over there, that made it better for us."\nPurdue freshman forward Ije Nwankwo was the main beneficiary of the referee's whistle. Nwankwo scored a career-high 17 points, 13 of which came from the foul line. Entering the game, he had made only five on the year and was shooting 45 percent.\nNwankwo said he didn't know where the touch came from.\n"We've been practicing a lot lately, so I've been getting a lot of repetition," Nwankwo said. "I just got my form down, and they just kept going through."\nNwankwo was only 2-9 from the field but pulled down three offensive rebounds. He said when Leach went out of the game, he tried to assert himself a little more because of IU's lack of height.\n"They're not soft underneath, they just don't have much height up front," Nwankwo said. "When their taller guys foul out, it's pretty hard for them to control low-post players, and I think they've been struggling the last couple of games on post defense."\nIn the second half, Davis was issued a technical foul for arguing calls. IU ended the game with 26 fouls compared to Purdue's 15. The first time the two teams met in January, they combined for 25 fouls.\n"We fouled them. We definitely fouled them," Davis said. "The last time we played this team, they shot two free throws, and it was a three-point game. Tonight they shot 24-31. We fouled. If I'm the opposing team, I'd go inside against our guys too. Just go inside and get that foul."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.
(02/12/04 5:40am)
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- For one of the few times this season, the Hoosier offense was rather efficient, as IU won another Big Ten road game, 75-56, over Penn State Wednesday. The Hoosiers (12-9, 6-4 Big Ten) had 16 assists and turned it over a season-low six times.\n"We did a good job of passing the ball, and for us to have 16 assists, it may be our season high," IU coach Mike Davis said. "I think (sophomore guard) Marshall (Strickland) did a great job of running the offense for us."\nThe 16 assists tied the season high set last Sunday in the double overtime loss against Iowa. It's only the fifth time this year that IU had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio. The Hoosiers were able to spread the floor, which is something the team stressed in practice this past week.\n"We had out wings open in the corners, and it gave me a lot of space at the point to operate," Strickland said. "I saw the lanes. My wings, they were really getting up and down the floor for me, and I was able to see the floor and make plays."\nIn addition to finding the open man, the Hoosiers took care of the basketball and had less than 10 turnovers in a game for only the third time this year. In their previous 14 games with double-digit assists, the Hoosiers also had double-digit turnovers.\n"We got open, and we converted on a lot of shots," sophomore guard Bracey Wright said. "We made a lot of shots. We shot the ball pretty well tonight. I don't think we were getting a lot of wide open lay-ups, but we got a lot of passes in their zone in the middle, and we got a lot of transition things going, so it worked for us tonight."\nWhile IU was able to take care of the basketball, Penn State did not. \nThe Nittany Lions (9-11, 3-6) turned the ball over 16 times -- 10 of those in the second half. Davis said the key was not letting them reverse the basketball.\nThe defense allowed the Hoosiers to score 27 points off Penn State turnovers.\n"I think our focus and intensity was there on defense, especially at the beginning of the game," Strickland said. "We really locked in, and we got a couple of stops in a row, and that's they way we want to start every game."\nPenn State sophomore forward Aaron Johnson came off the bench to score 11 points in the first half, 28 overall. Wright said in the second half he was told to double down in the post every time.\n"Whenever they caught the ball, just leave my man wherever he is on the floor and go double," Wright said. "I think we caused a lot of havoc with that because they made a lot of errant passes, and they put the ball of the floor not expecting a double-team, and we were able to swipe at it. We got a lot of good swipes and lot of points in transition."\nDavis was proud of the way his team executed on offense and was able to do the things they had stressed in practice. He said it was good to have only six turnovers.\n"We really emphasized cutting, screening and taking care of the ball," Davis said. "Our guys did a wonderful job tonight"
(02/11/04 5:56am)
Following Saturday's double-overtime loss to Iowa, senior A.J. Moye had a talk with his teammates. He said he spoke with emotion and from the heart to let his teammates know how he felt with this being his last year. \nIU (11-9, 5-4 Big Ten) will take the floor at 6 p.m. tonight at Penn State to see if that message has finally sunk in. \n"Everybody knows what it takes now, there's no doubt in my mind," Moye said. "We're going to give everything we've got to win. We saw what happens when we take stuff for granted out there on that floor."\nEmotions got the best of several players last week after the Hoosiers dropped three straight games, two of those at home. Moye and sophomore forward Sean Kline both talked about the lack of team effort, without naming names. \nIU coach Mike Davis said he should be the only one to point fingers because he doesn't hold it personal against anyone.\n"What was said about the guys I'm disappointed in because everybody is affected by it, and everyone is responsible for executing their part of it," Davis said. "We had breakdowns everywhere on Saturday, so no one should point fingers, just come out and play."\nThe Hoosiers will also be without the services of freshman forward Pat Ewing Jr. Davis suspended Ewing for academic issues.\n"Since the start of Big Ten play, Penn State has been one of the top rebounding teams in the league, so we will miss Pat's presence inside," Davis said in a statement Tuesday. "But this decision hopefully sends a message to our entire team that their classwork is, should and always will be the top priority at Indiana."\nMoye's talk to the team seems to have helped. He said everyone is staying together. Kline said the talk was about how the team needs to be a family again.\n"When we won five in a row, everybody at least acted like they cared for each other, and everyone was on the same page," Kline said. "But you lose two in a row at home, the crowd starts talking and the fans start talking. We can't let that get to us because five of the teams of the remaining seven we have left, we've beaten. We just need to take care of business one game at a time."\nSince starting the Big Ten season 2-0, the Nittney Lions (9-10, 3-5) have gone 1-5 in their last six games. They are led by junior forward Jan Jagla, who is averaging 14.6 points per game. Freshman guard Marlon Smith is also averaging 12.1 points.\n"It's a must-win for us," Davis said. "When you go on the road there, a road win is a must-win. It's like Michigan. It was a must-win when we played there. If we keep our concentration, keep our heads, stay focused and not get off track, then we have four losses with seven to go. We just have to take care of business."\nIU is 21-2 all-time against Penn State. The Hoosiers lost the last time they traveled up to the Bryce Jordan Center. \nKline said this game is crucial for the Hoosiers to get back on pace.\n"Every game is important, but this just magnifies it a 100 more percent," Kline said. "We know what we have to do, and we have to go out and do it."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.
(02/09/04 5:29am)
Even a miracle tip-in to send it to overtime and a long three-pointer to send it to double-overtime couldn't save the Hoosiers Saturday as they fell 84-82 to the Iowa Hawkeyes. \nIowa sophomore guard Jeff Horner scored on a lay-up with 1.6 seconds left in the second extra period. The loss is the third straight for IU (11-9, 5-4 Big Ten), its second in a row at home.\n"It was just a back and forth game, and it came down to who wanted it more, and I think they just outplayed us," IU sophomore guard Marshall Strickland said. "Iowa wanted it more today. It was back and forth, and we had opportunity after opportunity to put them away, we just couldn't do it. They out-fought us today."\nThe Hoosiers managed just two points in the second overtime, but the game was still within its reach. IU came up with a stop on a missed shot by Iowa senior guard Brody Boyd. But Horner pulled down the offensive rebound with 17 seconds left, pulled it out and then drove for the winning points for Iowa (12-8, 5-4).\n"We got a lot thrown at us here because we thought we had it won in regulation, we thought we had in won in the first one, and you have to give Indiana credit," Iowa head coach Steve Alford said. "This is one of those college basketball afternoons where you really hate to see someone go home as a loser because I thought on both sides, the Indiana guys as well as our team, gave everything they had."\nIU trailed by three in regulation when IU sophomore guard Bracey Wright drove down the lane and was fouled. He made the first free throw and missed the second. IU freshman forward Patrick Ewing, Jr. tipped in the ball off the miss.\nIU jumped out to an early lead in the first overtime with two threes by senior forward A.J. Moye. But Iowa battled back to take a three-point lead. Wright came to the rescue again with a deep three with three seconds left.\n"It was unbelievable that we were able to go to overtime," IU coach Mike Davis said. "To be honest with you, they should have won the game in regulation, and for us to get second and third opportunities to play this game, we really didn't deserve it."\nWright led the way for the Hoosiers with 25 points and nine rebounds. Moye chipped in with 20 points. \nDavis said he was proud of the way Moye has been playing, but not with the rest of the team. He said they had been playing like they had their backs against the wall, but now they play like they're in first place.\n"We waited so late to play hard," Davis said. "We waited to play with passion. We didn't execute the offense. We didn't get the ball inside. We didn't cut hard. We didn't play with energy. I'm not sure why."\nAll of Iowa's scoring came from its starters. Horner scored all of his 17 in the second half. Iowa forwards, senior Glen Worley and sophomore Greg Brunner, scored 20 and 23 respectively.\n"Everybody we play scores in the paint," Davis said. "It wouldn't matter if it was Bloomington North High School. If you're just going to stand behind someone, they're going to score. And we don't teach that. We teach front, or we teach side ... Every game we play comes down the stretch where they just go inside and get a lay-up. We've just got to be tougher."\nNow IU has to regroup heading into Penn State Wednesday. The Nittany Lions beat the Hoosiers 74-66 last year at State College. Wright said some members of the team have lost their focus and he wonders if they can get it back.\n"If it hasn't been fixed by now, it's going to be too late almost," Wright said. "If we have to (keep) trying to wonder if it's going to be fixed, we're going to wake up, and we're not in the tournament. We might not even make the NIT if we keep having to wonder if that can be fixed. We have no choice. We've got a game on (Wednesday) so we have no time to worry about that. We have to keep going, and that's just how it is."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.