The Hoosiers took it to heat tonight and upset 20th-ranked Illinois 52-49 in front of a sold out Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
Indiana was led by Jordan Hulls, who finished with 18 points (tying a season high) including four of five from 3-point range. Christian Watford tallied 16 points and 5 rebounds in the winning effort.
The difference may have been at the free throw line where Indiana made all 11 attempts. They also outscored the Illini in the paint 26-22 and limited Demetri McCamey to just six points.
The defensive effort of IU was tremendous. IU held Illinois to 32 percent from the field, the Illini’s second-lowest percentage on the season.
The key series of plays happened with 38 seconds to play. Following a missed Hulls jumper, Tom Pritchard scored his most important field goal on the season, a rebound tip to give the Hoosiers the lead.
As you see above, the students brought it from the very beginning. This picture was taken about an hour before tip-off. This is what Indiana basketball is all about. They clearly made an impact, even Jordan Hulls said in the postgame that Victor Oladipo said his ears were ringing.
They did have their time to celebrate following the game. Tonight’s Indiana win and crowd was amazing. Loud, intimidating and spirited. However under NO circumstances do you rush the floor. Act like you’ve been there. It’s Indiana.
But don’t underestimate the power of the students. Indiana is 9-0 at home when students are present.
Below is a video of the final Illinois play and the Hoosiers celebration from Assembly Hall.
Tom Crean as expected was excited. This is a statement and the first IU win over a ranked opponent in the Crean era. Coach said he received dozens of text after the game but the one that stood out to him was from his brother-in-law, John Harbaugh. In the text, “He said ‘You’re team came of age tonight.’ And I hope he’s right.”
Here’s the players’ reactions following the tremendous win.
And finally, the curse of Gus Johnson continues. Below are highlights from the final seconds.
With the win, the Hoosiers improve to 11-10 on the season, 2-6 in Big Ten play. Indiana took an 83-82 lead in the all-time series between the two teams.