Good, Bad and Ugly: Boston University
This is going to be more of an open thread due to this game not being televised, and me being in and out on the radio feed.
Here are some talking points:
+ It didn’t seem like Indiana had much going offensively in the first half — except for all those shots the IU radio team said Jordan Hulls put three-quarters of the way down that came back out — but Maurice Creek absolutely lit it up with 17 points, largely on the back of the four threes he hit. It was a big reason the Hoosiers had a lead at half, 34-29. But it should have been a bigger lead than that, as Boston only shot 20 percent — 20 percent! — in the first half.
Yet Creek didn’t register a point in the second half, and with a chance to tie the game with under 30 seconds to go, he missed what would have been a game-typing three pointer.
+ IU did a much better job taking of the ball tonight, as they only registered 12 turnovers. But it was negated by an awful showing on the boards. Boston snatched 19 offensive rebounds, and scored 19 second-chance points to IU’s three. The Terriers were the ones with the turnover problems tonight: they had 21, which led to 14 points off turnovers for IU.
+ IU did a better job with free throws this evening, too. But it still wasn’t that great. They were 14-of-22 for 63.6 percent. Make a few more, and a four-point loss suddenly becomes a one-point win.
+ This would have been a good victory for this young squad, especially as far as confidence is concerned. But alas, they just were never able to mount a lead of any substance in the second half and let the Terriers hang around until they grabbed a small lead in the final minutes, and that was that. And IU has George Mason next, which is no cakewalk either.
Filed to: Maurice Creek