Wildcats' Upset Bid Comes Up Short at No. 11 Indiana, 75-63
Feb. 3, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Eric Gordon scored 29 points and D.J. White added 26 points and 13 rebounds as 11th-ranked Indiana pulled away in the closing minutes to beat Northwestern 75-63 Sunday afternoon at Assembly Hall. Northwestern (7-12, 0-8) never led but twice rallied from eight-point deficits and cut Indiana's lead to 52-50 with under 12 minutes to go. The Wildcats, who shot 64 percent in the first half, then went cold and did not get another field goal until a 3-pointer by Michael Thompson with just over two minutes remaining. By then, it was too late. Gordon, who had 17 points in the first half, had eight points during a 14-2 run that broke the game open. Indiana (18-3, 7-1) took a 66-52 lead after a 3-pointer by Gordon, his sixth of the game, and one of two free throws by the freshman guard, the Big Ten's leading scorer. Northwestern never came closer than 10 points the rest of the game. Craig Moore led the Wildcats with 17 points and five assists, and Jeremy Nash and Kevin Coble added 12 apiece. Gordon, wearing a padded splint on his left wrist after a hard fall in practice Tuesday, had five 3-pointers in the first half, but the Hoosiers couldn't pull away for good. His fifth 3-pointer gave Indiana a 38-30 lead with two minutes left in the first half. But a basket by Moore and a 3-pointer by reserve Jason Okrzesik pulled the Wildcats within three, and after two free throws by Indiana's Jamarcus Ellis, Nash scored on a fast break with a second remaining to make it 40-37 at halftime. Nash, who entered the game with just 19 points on the season, scored 10 in the first half.
Northwestern closed within two points four times early in the second half before the Hoosiers began pulling away for good. The Wildcats return to action at 6 p.m. Wednesday when they host Minnesoat at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Associated Press contributed to this report |
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