That's all from Assembly Hall. Stay tuned to VAVEL tonight and all season long for NCAA College Basketball coverage. More still to come from Assembly Hall with my recap tonight. For Josh Eastern, thank you for following along
23 turnovers on the night for Morehead State
Indiana leading scorers: Troy Williams with 16, Ferrell and Blackmon Jr. with 15 points
Leading scorers: Morehead State: Lyonell Gaines with 13 points
FINAL: Indiana 92, Morehead State 59
2nd (:6): Gaines nails a 3
2nd (1:16): Maitland makes both FTs. 92-56 IU
2nd (1): Maitland fouled and will shoot 2
2nd (2:11): Johnson makes both FTs
2nd (2): Johnson fouled and will shoot 2
2nd (2): Williams for 2
2nd (3:08): Maitland makes the first and the second
2nd (3): Foul charged to Niego for IU. Maitland will shoot 2
2nd (3): Williams goes coast to coast for the lay in
2nd (3:50): Ferrell makes both FTs
With 3:50 to go in the second half, Indiana leads Morehead State, 84-52
2nd (3): Ferrell is fouled and will shoot 2 out of the timeout
2nd (4): Blackmon Jr. hangs in the air for 2
2nd (4:44): Ferrell makes both FTs
2nd (4): Ferrell fouled on the drive. Will shoot 2
2nd (5:12): Gaines makes the first and the second
2nd (5): Gaines is fouled and will shoot 2
2nd (5): Ferrell to Bryant for the alley oop
2nd (6:22): Ferrell to Bryant for the flush
2nd (6:34): Collins makes both. 76-50 IU
2nd (6:34): Collins is fouled and will once again shoot 2
2nd (6): Ferrell goes coast to coast for a lay in
2nd (6:57): Collins makes both FTs
2nd (6:57): Bielfeldt commits a foul on the rebound and Collins will shoot 2
2nd (6:59): Beamon makes the first and misses the second
2nd (6): Beamon is fouled and will shoot 2
Blackmon Jr. leads IU in scoring with 13 while Bielfeldt and Williams have 12
With 7:07 remaining, Indiana leads Morehead State, 74-45
2nd (7): Ball out of bounds to MS and that brings us to the under-8 TO
2nd (7): Marrero for 2 for MS
2nd (7): Bielfeldt for 2 for IU
2nd (8): 14-2 run for MS in the last 5 minutes
2nd (8): Beamon lays it in for MS
2nd (8:54): Moon completes the 3-point play
2nd (8): Moon lays it in and is fouled
2nd (9): Jump ball and MS will get it on the alternating possession
2nd (9): Moon for 2 for MS
2nd (9:47): Gaines makes the first and the second
2nd (9): Foul charged to Hartman. Gaines will shoot 1-and-1
2nd (9): MS ball out of the timeout
With 9:52 to go in the first half, Indiana leads Morehead State, 72-34
2nd (9): Indiana calls a timeout
2nd (10:36): Beamon makes the first and misses the second
2nd (10): Beamon is fouled by Williams, his fourth, and Beamon will shoot 2
2nd (10): Anunoby player control foul
2nd (11): Moon gets blocked by 2 Hoosiers. MS ball still
2nd (11:47): Collins misses the first and makes the second
With 11:47 to play in the second half, Indiana leads Morehead State, 72-32
2nd (11): Collins is fouled and will shoot 2 after the break
2nd (12): Foul on Bryant for IU
2nd (12): Williams tries for an acrobatice put back dunk, but goes over the top. MS ball
2nd (12): MS with another turnover. IU leads 72-32
2nd (13): Arrington commits a foul and is fouled out for MS
2nd (13): Easy lay in for Hartman
2nd (13:25): Williams completes the 3-point play
2nd (13): Williams lays it in for MS and will shoot one after being fouled.
2nd (13:45): Blackmon Jr. makes the front end and misses the second, but Hartman lays it in
2nd (13): Blcoking foul on Arrington for MS. Blackmon Jr. for a 1-and-1
2nd (14): Collins is blocked by Bielfeldt. MS keeps possession
2nd (14): Collins steps out of bounds for the Eagles' 19 turnover
2nd (14:54): Bryant makes both FTs
With 14:54 to go in the second half, Indiana leads Morehead State, 65-29
2nd (14): Bryant fouled going up and will shoot 2 after the break
2nd (15): Blackmon Jr. nails a 3 for IU. 65-29 IU
2nd (16): Johnson lays it in for IU
2nd (16): Blackmon Jr. grabs an offensive rebound and puts it back
2nd (16): Bryant fouled on the block. Already 6 team fouls on MS
2nd (16:57): Williams misses the first and the second
2nd (16): Williams gets fouled again going to the basket. He'll shoot 2
2nd (17): Offensive foul on Gaines
2nd (17:30): Elechi commits a foul on Williams who lays it in and completes another 3 point play
2nd (17): Great block by WIlliams, but Dicent tracks down the loose ball and lays it in
2nd (17): Collins travels and another turnover for MS
2nd (18:07): Williams completes the three point play
2nd (18): Great take by Williams as he lays it in and is fouled. He'll shoot 1
2nd (18:34): Collins makes the first and misses the second
2nd (18): Collins takes it hard to the rim and Bryant commits a foul. 2 shots for Collins
2nd (19): Blocking foul in transition on Dicent for MS
2nd (19): Bryant with an offensive rebound and the putback
2nd (20): IU ball to start the second half
Back here for the second half. MS had 16 fouls and 16 turnovers in the first half and find themselves down 24
I'm Josh Eastern and I'll be back in about 13 minutes for the second half
Much better defensive half for IU as they forced 16 turnovers
Indiana's leading scorer is Bielfeldt with 10. Ferrell has 9
Morehead State's leading scorers are Dicent and Gaines with 6
HALFTIME: Indiana 50, Morehead State 26
1st (:6): Zeisloft hits a 3 and Gaines lays it in for MS right before the buzzer
1st (:30): Ferrell hits a jumper
1st (45.5): Dicent makes the front end of the 1-and-1 and misses the second
1st (:45): MS misses a few shots then Zeisloft misses a 3 before Johnson commits a foul. Dicent at the line
1st (1): Offensive foul on Johnson
1st (1): Offensive foul on Moon, his 4th foul
1st (1:53): He misses the first and makes the second
1st (1): Foul on Harris for MS. Johnson will shoot 2
1st (2): ANOTHER tunrover for MS. That is their 14th
1st (2:33): He makes the first and misses the second
1st (2): Foul on MS and Blackmon back at the line
1st (2): Gaines drives and lays it in for MS
1st (3:15): Blackmon Jr. makes the first and the second
1st (3): Blackmon Jr. is fouled on the putback. Moon commits the foul, his second
1st (3): Gaines makes the first and the second
1st (3:40): Gaines will shoot 2 for MS out of the timeout
Bielfeldt leads IU with 10 points and IU is on a 29-6 run in the last 9:32. Much more intensity on defense from the Hoosiers
With 3:40 to play in the first half, Indiana leads Morehead State, 41-19
1st (3): Foul on IU and that brings us to a timeout
1st (4): Bielfeldt lays it in after a Blackmon Jr. steal
1st (4): Moon is fouled going to the rim. Zeisloft commits the foul
1st (4:25): Bryant makes the first and the second
1st (4): Marrero commits a foul, his 1st. Bryant will shoot 2
1st (4): Maitland nails a 3 from way downtown for MS
1st (5): Bryant commits an over the back foul. MS ball
1st (5:39): Ferrell makes both. 37-16 IU
1st (5): Ferrell was fouled by Moon and he'll shoot 2
27-5 run for IU over the last 8:37
1st (6): Williams once again for IU. 35-16 IU
1st (6): Williams lays it in for IU
1st (7): Johnson can't quite hold on and the ball goes out of bounds. MS ball
1st (7): Collins travels for MS and they commit their 11th turnover
1st (7:54): Bielfeldt was fouled before the break. He misses the first, but makes the second. Bryant replaces him
Indiana currently on a 22-5 run over the last 6:38
With 7:54 to go in the first half, Indiana leads Morehead State, 30-16
1st (8): Moon nails a 3 for MS and they finally have a bucket following a lengthy scoring drought. TO on the floor
1st (8): Foul on Blackmon Jr. going after a loose ball. That's his second
1st (8:36): Zeisloft makes the front end and then makes the second
1st (8): Foul on MS and IU gets it back. MS hasn't scored in nearly 5 minutes
1st (9): Bielfeldt with a great spin move to lay it in
1st (9): Another shot clock violation as MS turns it over
1st (9:52): Bielfeldt's FT is good. 26-13 IU. 14-0 run
1st (10): Bielfeldt lays it in and is fouled in the process. 1 FT coming
1st (10): Zeisloft nails a 3 for IU
1st (10): MS travel and they turn it over for the 9th time
1st (11:22): Williams misses the first and makes the second. 20-13 IU
1st (11): Hartman gets the steal and dishes to Williams who is fouled going up. 2 shots for Williams
With 11:40 to go in the first half, Indiana leads Morehead State, 19-13
1st (11): Ferrell for 3 and MS needs a TO. Now 19-13 IU
1st (12): Blackmon Jr. with the steal and the flush
1st (13): Bielfeldt with an offensive rebound and the putback
Decision: NO Shot clock violation. MS bucket and IU ball. 13-12 MS
Would be a shot clock violation. MS did get the rebound and the put back. We'll see what the call is
1st (13): Discussion to see if the ball hit the rim or not on the MS possession
1st (14): Ferrell lays it in for IU
1st (14): MS turnover. They lead IU 11-10
1st (14): Bryant with an and-1. The FT is missed
1st (14): Three pointer for Dicent
1st (15): Blackmon Jr. misses a 3 but lays it in on the rebound
1st (15): Blackmon Jr. misses an emphatic dunk
1st (15): Offensive foul on the inbounds. IU ball
MS ball out of the TO
With 15:34 to go in the first half, Morehead State leads Indiana, 8-6
1st (15): Foul on Blackmon Jr. brings us to our first media timeout
1st (16): Collins lays it in on a fast break for MS
1st (16): Shot clock violation for MS. Good defensive possession for IU
1st (16:49): Bryant makes the first and the second
1st (16): Thomas Bryant corrals a rebound and is fouled going back up. He'll shoot 2
1st (17:25): Blocking foul on Williams. That's his second already
1st (17): Robert Johnson nails a 3 for IU
1st (18:10): Marrero makes the first and the second. 6-1 MS
1st (18): Marrero is fouled shooting and will go to the line. Williams commits the foul
1st (18): Bryant travels while corraling a rebound for IU
1st (18): Missed 3 by Johnson and then MS travels
1st (19): Elechi lays it in for 2 for MS
1st (19:30): Williams misses the first and makes the second
1st (19): Ferrell finds Williams cutting and he's fouled. Will shoot 2
1st (20): Morehead wins the tip and lays it in right away
Lineups have been announced and teams are taking the court. It's nearly time for basketball here at Assembly Hall
For time and typing sake, Morehead State will be referred to as MSU while Indiana will be IU
Morehead State starters: Corban Collins, DeJuan Marrero, Anthony Elechi, Miguel Dicent, Brent Arrington
Indiana starters: James Blackmon Jr., Robert Johnson, Troy Williams, Yogi Ferrell, Thomas Bryant
Both teams out on the floor for warm ups. 25 minutes until tip
Hello everyone, I'm Josh Eastern checking in from Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN where we are just over an hour away from tip
Indiana needs a few games to get it back together and put those games in Maui and at Duke behind them. It is still early in the season, but things need to start changing before the Hoosiers get into the meat of their schedule.
"Guard the ball better,” said Crean when asked what needs to change on defense. “We need to guard the ball better. We need to make sure we're not playing angles and giving up position, as much as getting up into the ball and putting really good pressure on the ball."
This Indiana team can score and score a lot. The Hoosiers are averaging 86.5 points per game and are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country, ranking sixth in 3-point percentage at 44.6 percent, and eighth in threes made with 86. Their biggest issues have come through turnovers and defense. The defensive performance at Duke on Wednesday was lackluster to say the least and it needs to be fixed and quickly.
Indiana coach Tom Crean has mixed up the starting lineup a few times this season to try to find the best lineup. It could have been assumed that Bryant, Ferrell, Blackmon Jr., and Williams would be in there almost every night (and maybe still could be), but with the recent struggles, that can no longer be assumed. The other guys in contention for the starting lineup and the role players on this team are Max Bielfeldt, Robert Johnson, and Collin Hartman. All three of these guys have rotated into the starting lineup with Hartman most recently getting the nod at Duke and Johnson getting the nod on Monday against Alcorn State.
Their main man is 6-3 junior guard and LSU transfer Corbin Collins who leads the team in points with 12.5 points per game, but in every game this season, the Eagles have had at least seven scorers.
This team's identity is on defense. They are one of the best teams in the country at forcing turnovers and enter this game against the Hoosiers as the nation's best scoring defense, limiting opponents on average to just 54.5 points per game. In addition, the Eagles are averaging 9.8 steals per game. Against Saint Louis, the Billikens managed just 15 first half points.
As for Morehead State, they come in ranked 117 in the KenPom rankings as of Dec. 4. The Eagles have 11 guys that average 10 minutes or more, which means they are a deep team. They are 5-1 on the season and are coming in fresh off of a win against the Saint Louis Billikens.
The Hoosiers return four starters from a season ago and are led by senior point guard Yogi Ferrell. He has started every game he has played in and this season, Ferrell has had to be a leader on this team as they haven’t had the start they necessarily expected. Thus far he has averaged 15.0 points per game. Another key contributor is Troy Williams as he can get it done in so many different ways. He has had his struggles this year, but did play a solid game in Indiana’s loss at Duke. Freshman Thomas Bryant is also another key component to this team as he provides much needed size at 6-10. A big key for the Hoosiers is protecting the rim and Bryant still has a lot of work to do in that department. He did not collect a rebound either in their game at Duke.
This is the fifth meeting between these two schools with the Hoosiers leading the series 4-0. Their last meeting was back on December 23, 2003 in Bloomington where the Hoosiers came away with a 77-57 win.
The Eagles are coached by Sean Woods who is currently in his fourth season at the helm of the program. During his first three seasons, Woods won 52 games, more than any other coach in their first three years at Morehead State.
The Hoosiers are coached by Tom Crean who comes into his eighth year at the helm of the program. Since taking over in 2008, he has rebuilt Indiana basketball and has put them in contention to compete year in and year out. In the past four-plus years, coach Crean has a record of 98-48 and since 2011 they have averaged 23 wins.
Morehead State of the OVC come into Saturday night’s matchup in Bloomington coming off of 60-46 win against Saint Louis on Wednesday and come into this matchup with a 5-1 record overall
Indiana of the Big Ten comes into this game looking to get things back on track after a tough trip to Durham where they suffered a 20-point loss at the hands of Duke. The Hoosiers struggled mightily on defense, but they still had a proficient offense while limiting their turnovers to just nine.
Welcome to VAVEL College Basketball’s LIVE coverage of the Morehead State Eagles vs. Indiana Hoosiers. I’m Josh Eastern and I’ll be providing play-by-play updates, commentary, and results of the game. The game starts at 7:00 PM EST at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN. VAVEL USA will be providing coverage pre-game, during the game, and post-game.