Sports

A bid farewell

SALT LAKE CITY -- It's time to say goodbye. Words can't fully express what ended Saturday. A season that began with limitless dreams quickly dissolved into a coaching fallout. But when the fires tamed, the Hoosiers that originally ignited optimism rose again. A five-game losing streak beget a five-game winning streak that beget IU's first tournament berth in three years. But the run finally ended with a 90-80 loss to No.3-seeded Gonzaga Saturday night. And all that was left for a coach and his players were emotions. The moment seemed larger than words. "I can't explain it," IU coach Mike Davis said of his feelings after the game. "We've been through a lot together. I am just proud of them." In a fashion fitting for the entire season, the Hoosiers fought till the bitter end. They held the nation's leading scorer to 14 points. They set a new IU tournament record for 3-pointers. Their point guard even came one rebound shy of a triple-double. But also in a fashion fitting for the entire season -- things were just not meant to be.

Players feel Davis fallout

SALT LAKE CITY -- After IU's 90-80 loss Saturday night, the walk through the long-winding tunnel beneath the stands of the Jon Huntsman Center felt like a funeral procession. The awkward silences and the irrelevant small talk couldn't conceal the fact that IU coach Mike Davis was making his final trek to the IU locker room. The fallout of his departure couldn't be concealed, either. "I'm sure he knows this, but my father passed away this summer, and he's like a father figure to me," sophomore forward Robert Vaden said. "I love him with all my heart and I'm sure he loves me as well."

Senior ties school mark

IU senior golfer Shannon Johnson knew she had been playing well. She had carded round after round of sub-80 golf. What she didn't know was how dominant her play would be at the UNLV Spring Invitational in Las Vegas during spring break. Johnson's three-day score of 211 (68-75-68) tied the IU school record, but more importantly, was good enough to finish at the top of the leaderboard.

IU captures Florida State Invitational title

After three weeks of what-ifs, the IU women's softball team had a breakthrough weekend by capturing the Florida State Invitational March 12. The Hoosiers defeated two ranked opponents in one weekend after posting a 0-2-1 record against ranked teams prior to the tournament. Overcoming mental barriers helped push the Hoosiers to finally defeat a ranked opponent for the first time since 1998.

Hoosiers win 3 of 7 during spring break trip

After playing seven games in seven days in Bradenton, Fla., the IU baseball team completed an eventful spring break road trip with a 5-1 loss to the University of Illinois-Chicago on Saturday. The Hoosiers went 3-4 on the trip and now have an overall record of 4-10.

Hoosiers' rowing season back onboard

After a long winter hiatus, the IU women's rowing team jumped back into action at the Clemson Regatta on Saturday. The meet concluded the squad's spring break training trip, which was held from March 11 to 18. The event showcased Clemson Universitiy, Marist College, Pennsylvania, Purdue and IU in Clemson, S.C. Coach Steve Peterson said in a statement the regatta would be a positive starting point for the relatively young team.

Wrestling champion KINGPIN

As the last match of Joe Dubuque's collegiate wresting career came to a close, the IU senior flexed his arms as he walked around the mat and then raised two fingers in the air, presumedly to signify his back-to-back national championships. Dubuque defeated Troy Nickerson of Cornell 8-3 at the NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City on Saturday to capture the 125-pound title once again. Dubuque is the second Hoosier wrestler in the program's history to win two national titles, but the first to do it in consecutive seasons. Charlie McDaniel captured titles for IU in 1935 and 1938.

Senior trio dominates in WNIT win

For the IU women's basketball team, the postseason is the postseason whether it is the NCAA or the National Invitation Tournament, but the goal remains the same -- keep winning.

A bid farewell

SALT LAKE CITY -- It's time to say goodbye. Words can't begin to express what ended Saturday. A season that began with limitless dreams quickly dissolved into a coaching fallout. But when the fires tamed, the Hoosiers that originally garnered enthusiasm rose again. A five game losing streak beget a five game winning streak that beget IU's first tournament berth in three years.

Who has the better 'stache: Calloway v. Morrison

Throw out the stats. Forget the ball skills. The real issue at hand leading up to Saturday's Gonzaga-IU game is quite simple. It comes down to one question. Who's got the better 'stache? Gonzaga's Adam Morrison has drawn attention all season for his fuzzy, caterpillar-like facial hair, but one Hoosier in particular feels a little under appreciated.

Vaden feeling good, Strickland a game-time decision

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Hoosiers' top three have looked, as of late, a little bit like "the walking wounded", as a reporter referred to them in a question from Friday's press conference. Sophomore forward Robert Vaden sprained his ankle against Ohio State and had an ice bag taped around it after Thursday night's game. He wore a different sized shoe on that foot to account for the swelling, but he seemed unaffected as he played a team-high 36 minutes and hit the game-winning shot.

All eyes on Adam

SALT LAKE CITY -- Only three other teams in the country can relate to the predicament facing IU. Maryland, Memphis and Virginia are the only teams in the nation that know what it is like to play Duke's J.J. Redick and Gonzaga's Adam Morrison. After Saturday night, the Hoosiers will be able to relate. And perhaps the only thing scarier than playing both players is the tendency for one to upscale the other.

San Diego Stunned

SALT LAKE CITY -- Twice in the second half a loose ball ended up in the hands of sophomore Robert Vaden. Twice Vaden took that ball and drained an open look from three. And only twice in that half did the Hoosiers hold a lead over No. 11 seed San Diego State. Fortunately for IU, the second of those two similar occurrences came with only 3.3 seconds left.

Late-game heroics power Hoosiers past Aztecs

SALT LAKE CITY -- San Diego State fans might still be blinking. In the closing seconds, junior guard Rod Wilmont attempted to throw the ball in the post to senior forward Marco Killingsworth for a game-stealing post up with IU down 83-82. But SDSU forward Marcus Slaughter knocked the pass loose for what looked to be a game-ending turnover. The ball flew in the air and sophomore guard Robert Vaden skied over an Aztec defender to come down with it around the three-point line.

March memories few and far between

SALT LAKE CITY -- Senior Marshall Strickland struggles to remember it. Senior Sean Kline said it feels like it's been 10 years. But the reality is that IU last danced just three years ago -- it only seems longer. Strickland and Kline represent the only players on IU's roster to have worn cream and crimson in the NCAA Tournament. Seniors Marco Killingsworth and Lewis Monroe both have a Sweet 16 appearance to their names, but that came at Auburn.

Hoosiers' diminished frontcourt to deal with Aztecs' front two

SALT LAKE CITY -- The San Diego State Aztecs hail from the Mountain West Conference, but they look familiar to the Hoosiers of the Midwest. And even 1500 miles away from Bloomington, the IU players see themselves fighting a familiar battle Thursday night, despite being emerged in the Rocky Mountains surrounding the Jon Huntsman Center.

IU seeded sixth, will face San Diego State Thursday

IU drew the No. 6 seed of the Oakland Bracket and will take on No. 11-seeded San Diego State in Salt Lake City on Thursday afternoon, as selected on Sunday night by the NCAA Tournament selection committee.

IU NCAA Tournament tickets

Hoosiers drop heartbreaker in semifinals

INDIANAPOLIS -- Junior guard Rod Wilmont laid stomach-down on the Conseco Fieldhouse floor with his hands covering his eyes, as he cried after a failed attempt to win the game. Wilmont's 16 points led IU in its 52-51 loss to Ohio State Saturday afternoon. The redshirt junior failed to connect on a short jump shot in the lane after rebounding a missed baseline jumper from senior forward Marco Killingsworth, who shot a season-worst 27 percent in a 10-point, 10-rebound outing. Wilmont's shot missed off the back of the rim with three seconds remaining, and Killingsworth's clanged out at the 14-second mark.

Big Ten Tourney Blog: Ohio State

INDIANAPOLIS -- Age doesn't matter after a loss like that. When Rod Wilmont's last-second shot clanked off the iron and fell into the hands of the Buckeyes, the emotions were too much for men and children alike. Wilmont needed to be scooped up off the floor by his coaches and teammates as he buried his face in his jersey -- overwhelmed by the weight of forty hard-fought minutes seeming to fall squarely on his shoulders.