2nd Round East Region: Hoosiers tame the Wildcats

Joe Brannan, Staff Writer

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If you’re a fan of great point guard play, you would have greatly enjoyed this game.  Yogi Ferrell and Tyler Ulis are regarded as two of the best point guards in the nation and possibly two of the best players.  Both are semifinalists for the Naismith Player of the Year Award.  It’s a shame that one of these floor generals’ season would have to come to an end, but that’s how it works in March.  The floor general who would see his season end would be Ulis.  Ulis wasn’t going down without a fight as he put on a show.  The 5-foot 9-inch sophomore ended up with a game high 27 points and 3 assists, but it wasn’t enough as the Hoosiers were too much for the Wildcats.  Freshman phenom Jamal Murray, a likely top-ten pick come NBA draft time, was the only other Wildcat in double figures.  Murray finished what would probably be the last game of his fleeting college career with 16 points.  Indiana was led in scoring by freshman center Thomas Bryant with 19 points.  Yogi Ferrell filled the stat sheet with 18 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds.  Troy Williams added 13 for the Hoosiers.

Kentucky led for most of the first half, jumping out to an early 9-2 lead.  Indiana fought back to tie the game at 30 before they finally took a slim 33-32 lead into the break.  The second half was full of back and forth action.  Indiana would push their lead to six only to have Kentucky storm back and retake the lead.  With the score tied at 50 with 8 minutes left, Indiana embarked on an 8-0 run to give them a lead they wouldn’t lose.  Kentucky would get the deficit to as little as three only to have Indiana make their free throws down the stretch to put the game on ice and send the Hoosiers to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2013.

Indiana will play North Carolina for a shot at the Elite Eight.