College basketball: Hoosiers out-shoot Pitt
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Emmitt Holt scored a season high 15 points and Troy Williams finished with 10 points and five rebounds to lead Indiana past Pittsburgh 81-69 Tuesday in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
Indiana (6-1) has won two straight and three of its last four in a showcase for two of college basketball's power conferences.
Chris Jones scored 18 points and Josh Newkirk had 16 to lead Pittsburgh (4-3), which was playing for the first time since its trip to Hawaii.
The difference was obvious: Indiana shot 53.2 percent from the field, compared with a season low 36.1 percent for Pittsburgh. Plus, Indiana had a 48-28 scoring edge in the paint.
The Hoosiers trailed only twice in the game, 2-0 and 4-2, and were in control most of the game.
After leading 45-37 at the half, Pitt closed to 47-41. But the Hoosiers went on a 16-4 run and pushed the lead to as much as 23.
It was Indiana's most impressive game of the season.
Offensively, the Hoosiers converted regularly when they got near the basket. Defensively, they forced the Panthers to settle for jumpers.
The combination was too much for Pittsburgh, which fell to 1-1 in the challenge after joining the ACC last season.
Indiana started seizing control midway through the first half.
James Blackmon Jr. hit a 3-pointer to give the Hoosiers a 22-18 lead, spurring two quick Indiana flurries. After a Pittsburgh layup, Holt completed a three-point play, Max Hoetzel hit a 3 and Troy Williams scored on a short runner to extend the lead to 30-20.
Pittsburgh finally answered with Newkirk's 3, but the Hoosiers scored the next six to take a 36-23 lead.
The Panthers got as close as 42-37 when Cameron Johnson made a 3 in the final minute, but Holt completed another three-point play before halftime.
After spending last week in Hawaii, the Panthers' looked sluggish especially inside where they usually thrive. Leading scorer Michael Young scored just 13 points, most when the game was out of reach. And even though Pittsburgh had a 44-37 rebounding edge, they had no answer for Indiana's cutters.
Indiana coach Tom Crean, a former assistant during Ralph Willard's tenure with the Panthers, has been successful against his former employer. Crean was 6-3 against the Panthers when he coached Marquette. Now, at Indiana, Crean is 2-0 against his former employer, making him 8-3 all-time.
Indiana hosts Savannah State on Saturday night.