Halftime reaction: Indiana – 36, Northwestern – 22
Nathan Richards/Daily Senior Staffer
Indiana guard Yogi Ferrell attempts a 3-pointer over Northwestern junior guard Tre Demps. The Hoosiers nailed six shots from beyond the arc in the first half, racing out to a 36-22 lead at intermission.
March 12, 2015
It wasn’t the start No. 10 seed Northwestern was hoping for.
The Wildcats have looked flat so far against No. 7 seed Indiana, and that, combined with a shockingly effective Hoosiers defense, already has NU in a 36-22 hole at halftime.
The offensive production simply hasn’t been there for the Cats. The team trailed by as many as 18 points in the opening period, and top-scoring threats junior guard Tre Demps, junior center Alex Olah and freshman guard Bryant McIntosh were held silent with a combined 9 points.
NU simply didn’t handle Indiana’s ball pressure well, which led to five turnovers and a dismaying 33 percent shooting percentage.
And on the other end of the court, the Hooisers did what they do best: score points. The Big Ten’s best offense shot a pedestrian 14-for-35 but leveraged additional possessions gained from two steals and a whopping 13 offensive rebounds to steadily widen the gap between the two teams.
Regression to the mean for the Cats should keep this contest from being a blowout, but NU will need a little extra help to pull off a comeback victory.
Email: bpillote@u.
Twitter: @BobbyPillote
