By Craig Smith
Tribune-Star Correspondent
BLOOMINGTON
March 03, 2007 10:56 pm
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In a game where Indiana had everything to play for, both strategically and emotionally, the Hoosiers played like it.
With the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament on the line and seniors Errek Suhr, Rod Wilmont and Earl Calloway playing their last game at Assembly Hall, the Hoosiers used a dominating offensive effort to crush Penn State 94-63 on Saturday night.
With the win, Indiana (20-9, 10-6) clinched third place in the Big Ten behind No. 1 Ohio State and No. 4 Wisconsin and will enter this week’s Big Ten Tournament as the No. 3 seed. The win also gave Indiana its first perfect season at Assembly Hall since 1993-94.
Not only was the Hoosiers’ offense red-hot, but it was also balanced.
Wilmont led Indiana with 21 points, as A.J. Ratliff scored 18 points. Calloway added 15 points and Mike White and D.J. White each chipped in 12. The last time Indiana had five players score in double figures was earlier this season at Penn State.
Terre Haute native Armon Bassett scored eight points and dished out four assists in 27 minutes.
Indiana drained nine 3-pointers in the first half as it built a 43-31 halftime lead. Ratliff drained all four 3-pointers he attempted and the Hoosiers shot a blistering 64-percent from the field.
The Hoosiers barely cooled down in the second half, shooting 50-percent (16-for-32). Penn State pulled as close as eight points early in the second half, but Indiana went on a 14-2 run, capped off by a 3-pointer from Calloway, and the rout was quickly on.
Indiana’s defense let up in the second half, allowing Penn State to go 11-for-18 from the field, but it didn’t impact the game as Indiana built its lead down the stretch.
Penn State’s Geary Claxton led all scorers with 25 points.
The Hoosiers enter the post-season having won 20 regular season games for the first time since 1999-2000 and have an NCAA tournament bid all but locked up.
When Sampson addressed the crowd after a long ovation, he may have summed it up best.
“The last time I got an ovation like that was during Midnight Madness. We’ve come a long way since then,” he said.
I I I
n Notes — Indiana will get a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament. … Sampson has used 16 different starting lineups this season. D.J. White is the only player to start every game and every scholarship player started at least one game. … Indiana out-rebounded Penn State 32-23, marking the 19th time the Hoosiers out-rebounded their opponent this season.
PENN ST. (63) — Cornley 6-12 1-4 13, Hassell 3-3 0-1 6, Walker 1-6 3-3 6, Claxton 10-19 3-3 25, D. Jackson 1-4 0-0 2, Obradovic 0-1 0-0 0, Leiner 0-0 1-2 1, Suotamo 0-0 0-0 0, Morrissey 2-3 4-4 10, Bogetic 0-0 0-0 0, Norwood 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-48 12-17 63.
INDIANA (94) — D.White 4-6 4-4 12, M.White 4-7 4-8 12, Wilmont 8-18 1-2 21, Suhr 0-1 2-2 2, Calloway 6-9 0-0 15, Bassett 2-6 2-2 8, Ratliff 6-8 0-0 18, Allen 0-0 0-0 0, Stemler 2-2 0-0 6, Shaw 0-0 0-0 0, Keeling 0-0 0-0 0, Ahlfeld 0-0 0-0 0, Taber 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-57 13-18 94.
Halftime—Indiana 43-31. 3-Point Goals—Penn St. 5-13 (Morrissey 2-3, Claxton 2-4, Walker 1-5, D. Jackson 0-1), Indiana 17-32 (Ratliff 6-7, Wilmont 4-11, Calloway 3-5, Stemler 2-2, Bassett 2-6, Suhr 0-1). Fouled Out—Morrissey, Ratliff. Rebounds—Penn St. 23 (Claxton, Hassell 6), Indiana 32 (Wilmont 11). Assists—Penn St. 4 (Walker 3), Indiana 23 (Calloway 11). Total Fouls—Penn St. 13, Indiana 17. A—17,315.
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