Women's basketball shocks No. 4 Buckeyes
IU secured its first win against a top-10 team since 2002 on Sunday at home.
IU secured its first win against a top-10 team since 2002 on Sunday at home.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – If a picture is worth a thousand words, it takes only one to describe the look on Jeremiah Rivers’ face moments after Saturday’s loss to Illinois: devastation. With IU coach Tom Crean by his side, the junior guard slowly walked across the court toward the IU bench with a look on his face that epitomized the clichéd words “agony of defeat.” This was not just any loss.
One shot changed everything. With four seconds on the clock, Illinois took a timeout. Instead of focusing on Illini guard Demetri McCamey, who had already scored 17 points and dished eight assists, Crean prepared for his equally dangerous teammates. McCamey in-bounded the ball and received a hand-off pass before driving to his right, shooting over senior guard Devan Dumes and freshman forward Christian Watford. As his shot slid through the net, the final horn blared on a Hoosier 72-70 loss.
Seven IU women’s basketball players dressed to defend Assembly Hall against one of the best teams in the nation.
His team down by two, only 22 seconds left in the second half, Jeremiah Rivers was on the line.
IU fought and clawed its way into the game, but Demetri McCamey floated in a teardrop as the horn sounded to give Illinois the victory.
There are no days off in the Big Ten. Thus far, the Hoosiers have posted a 3-4 Big Ten record, which has included just two games – both losses – against two of the league’s top five teams. Before IU can turn its focus to the other road trips and all the matchups versus ranked foes, the Hoosiers have been dealt the typically difficult task of playing on Illinois’ home court.
Three seems to be Wisconsin’s magic number. The Badgers are ranked third in a competitive Big Ten race, and they beat IU at Assembly Hall for only the third time ever. But it was not the 3-point game that led the Badgers to victory, rather their staunch defense.
Following her team’s 55-47 loss to Wisconsin on Thursday, IU women’s basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack said there is still much to learn.
The IU women's basketball team tries to rebound tonight against the Big Ten's best defensive team in the Badgers. Follow live by clicking here.
The IU and Illinois men’s basketball teams will face off again Saturday at 2 p.m. in Champaign, Ill. The Fighting Illini won the first meeting this year, 66-60.
Striving for more defensive consistency has been a recurring theme for the IU women’s basketball team this season.
Senior guard Devan Dumes can scare IU fans every once in a while.
IDS men's basketball columnist Jordan Cohen gives you a capsule of the Hoosiers' last 11 games of 2010.
IU has been an underdog for two seasons, and it didn’t respond well to the concept of being a team expected to win.
Jumping to quick, early leads and playing impressive in the first half is a good way to start a basketball game. Letting the opposition start the second half with a 17-4 scoring run, however, is a good way to lose a basketball game.
With two consecutive conference victories and a .500 overall record going into Sunday’s game against Iowa, IU was favored to win.
Even if temporary and based solely on conference records, a win against Iowa would have placed IU in the upper tier of the Big Ten.
The Hoosiers had a chance for a three-game win streak Sunday, but they lost in a low-scoring affair to a Hawkeye team with only one previous conference win.
The Hoosiers have not been favored for a single moment in Big Ten play under IU coach Tom Crean. That might change Sunday in Assembly Hall when IU faces a Hawkeye team without a road win this season.