The Indiana Hoosiers recovered from a slow start and rolled to a 95-71 win over UNC Wilmington on Tuesday, moving to 3-0 on the season. Led by the ridiculously talented Eric Gordon’s 30 points, Indiana once again showcased its offensive firepower in the rout.
The UNC Wilmington Seahawks started out on fire, surprising the Hoosiers by charging to an 18-8 advantage in the first 4 and a half minutes. Wilmington big men Todd Hendley and Vladimir Kuljanin dominated early, while Indiana committed 3 turnovers and Eric Gordon failed to score a basket.
Bassett contributed 19 points in the win
Fortunately, the rest of the game was a different story, as Gordon turned up the heat on the Seahawk defense, and helped Indiana to gel against the Seahawk offense. Gordon scored 30 points from all over the court in a fantastic display. Although he didn’t put down his typical 4 or 5 treys, he aggressively attacked the basket the entire game, getting himself a few highlight reel dunks over the Seahawk post players. He also got to the free-throw line more than usual, hitting 12 of his 13 attempts for nearly half of his points. Gordon also played his usual shut-down defense, getting 3 steals.
Gordon’s stellar play opened up many opportunities for the rest of Indiana’s players, opportunities that allowed him to tally 6 assists on the night. Armon Bassett, who left late in the 2nd half because of a cramp, contributed 19 points, including 4 three-pointers and 5 free throws on 100% shooting from the stripe. Jordan Crawford, DJ White, and Deandre Thomas all reached double digits as well. Thomas has been getting a significant amount of playing time lately (19 minutes in this game) and is looking like a capable backup for White.
Brandon McGee and Eli Holman also played decent minutes. Holman had an unfortunate collision with Lance Stemler in the second half, resulting in a trip to the locker room for Stemler, but it is unclear if the injury was serious or not. Although Stemler has been inconsistent lately, he definitely doesn’t need another setback to prevent him from getting back into his production groove. Exact details about Bassett’s cramp are also unavailable.
Despite the strong finish, the Hoosiers will need to learn how to play the whole 40 minutes at a high level, because many of the better teams won’t leave the door open for a comeback in the 2nd half. Post defense is a particular concern, as Hendley and Kuljanin finished with 20 and 14 points, respectively. Seahawk guard Chad Tomko finished with 17 points, including 5 treys. The defense clearly has the potential to be a major force, beginning with Gordon’s relentless pressure, but it will need to be more consistent against the much better competition that Indiana will face after Thanksgiving, including Georgia Tech and Kentucky.
The semifinal round of the Chicago Invitational Challenge will be played against Illinois State at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, on November 23.
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