LaQuinton Ross and Lenzelle Smith Jr. had 19 points each for the Buckeyes, but Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell scored 20 points and Will Sheehey added 19 on Sunday, leading Indiana past No. 22 Ohio State 72-64.
The Buckeyes couldn’t make 3-pointers, mid-range jumpers or almost anything outside the paint at Assembly Hall. Even Ohio State coach Thad Matta couldn’t believe it.
On a day Indiana was missing its best NBA prospect, Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell scored 20 points, Will Sheehey added 19 and the Hoosiers upset No. 22 Ohio State 72-64 on Sunday.
“I think it was just we couldn’t make a shot, you know 0 for 11 from 3, that was kind of the deal,” Matta said. “We were short on everything. They didn’t go down. It was definitely one of those days in that regard.”
Even the usually reliable Aaron Craft struggled, going just 2 of 11 from the field. He finished with seven points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Ohio State (22-8, 9-8 Big Ten) has lost two straight, both on the road against teams in the bottom half of the conference standings.
“We were rolling till Thursday night in all seriousness, and I think we’re really lacking in a confidence issue, we’re lacking in a toughness issue in terms of playing through situations,” Matta said. “Those are things that somehow, some way, we’ve got to get corrected.”
The Hoosiers (17-12, 7-9), in contrast, overcame the adversity.
How badly did the Hoosiers want it?
Crean showed the team a video of the second Joe Louis-Max Schmeling heavyweight title fight from 1938 to motivate his team.
So after falling into an early 20-12 deficit, the Hoosiers took the lead with a 16-0 run and never looked back.
For the first time in more than 11 years, Indiana held an opponent without a 3-pointer, and for the first time in Crean’s memory, his team held an opponent without a basket from outside of about 10 feet. Ohio State wound up with 25 field goals, 24 in the paint, none longer than about 10 feet.
The Buckeyes’ stat sheet also showed they were 14 of 23 on free throws and 0 for 11 from 3-point range, ending a streak of 367 consecutive games with at least one made shot from beyond the arc – a span that lasted more than 10 years.
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