Box Score

BLOOMINGTON, IND. (NCCUEaglePride.com) – North Carolina Central University’s Dominique Sutton scored a game-high 21 points but a solid first half by No. 23/24 Indiana University was just what the Hoosiers needed to earn the 75-56 victory on Wednesday night at historic Assembly Hall.
 
In the final nonconference game for each team, Indiana used a hot- shooting first half and a 35-to-16 rebounding advantage to earn the win.  In fact, IU shot 16-for-29 (55.2 percent) from the field in the first frame, but was a stellar 4-for-6 (66.7 percent) from three-point range to take the early advantage.
 
Indiana scored the first six points of the night, as it took NCCU nearly four minutes to get on the board as Jeremy Ingram’s (Charlotte, N.C.) layup made it 6-2 with16:40 left in the first frame.
 
IU pulled out in front 10-4 through the first five minutes and added to the margin thanks to two three-pointers to push the lead out to 19-7 with 12:11 to go.
 
The Hoosiers largest lead of the half was 15 following Victor Oladipo’s 10th three-pointer of the season to put the score at 24-9 with 10:09 to go.
 
That’s when Sutton put the maroon and gray on his back, pacing NCCU with 14 first half points and keeping the Eagles in the game taking a 39-26 deficit into the locker room.
 
NCCU started the second half with a three-pointer from sophomore point guard Emanuel Chapman (Raleigh, N.C.) to put the tally at 39-29, and that was as close as the Eagles would get the rest of the way.
 
IU scored the next six points to stretch the margin back out to 16 and cruised from there.
 
The largest lead for the Hoosiers was 24 as IU led 61-37 with 8:49 to go.  From that point on the maroon and gray outscored Indiana 19-14 as the Hoosiers earned win no. 16 at home, 75-56 the final score.
 
Sutton led all scorers with 21 points on 10-of-16 (62.5 percent) shooting along with two rebounds, two assists, and four steals despite the loss.  Ray Willis (Atlanta, Ga.) and Ingram both contributed 10 points to the Eagle cause.  Willis went a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line as Ingram finished the night 6-for-10 (60.0 percent).
 
Indiana (21-7 overall, 8-7 Big Ten) had four players in double figures led by freshman Cody Zeller who ended up with 17 points and 7 rebounds, while Oladipo amassed 16 points and 6 rebounds in the win for the Hoosiers.  Will Sheehey added 12 points and 7 rebounds, while Derek Elston came off the bench to score 10 points that included a 2-for-3 mark from the outside.
 
NCCU (14-13 overall, 8-5 MEAC) ended up benefitting despite the loss, as Morgan State beat Coppin State at the Physical Education Complex in Baltimore, Md. 91-80 to drop CSU’s conference record to 8-6 putting the maroon and gray all by itself in fifth place in the league.
 
The Eagles turn their attention to the league’s top team, Savannah State (18-10, 11-2 MEAC), for a crucial showdown on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 4:00 p.m. from Tiger Arena.  NCCU dropped the first meeting between back on Feb. 11, 67-57 at McDougald-McLendon Gym.
 
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