Hoosiers Hoopers Survive Scare

Luke Recker scored 23 points as No. 22 Indiana stormed back from a 19-point halftime deficit to beat Indiana State 76-70 Saturday.

The Hoosiers (3-0) trailed Indiana State 45-26 after shooting just 35 percent in the first half.

But Indiana rallied by hitting 58 percent of its shots after intermission and holding Indiana State to 19-percent shooting in the second half.

Kirk Haston came off the bench to add 18 points and a game-high 16 rebounds for the Hoosiers. No other Indiana player scored in double figures.

Nate Green scored 20 points, Matt Renn had 14 and Kelyn Block had 10 for Indiana State (0-1).

The Sycamores appeared to tire in the second half after losing starting guard Michael Menser to a freak injury late in the first half. He broke his nose in a collision with teammate Jon Luchetti, and was sidelined for the rest of the game with a concussion.

Indiana trailed 52-37 early in the second half before bringing exciting the Assembly Hall sellout crowd of 17,098 with a run that trimmed the deficit to 52-41. Recker capped that flurry with a steal and a layup.

Indiana State maintained a 59-51 edge until the Hoosiers scored 10 consecutive points, four by Kirk Haston.

Recker hit a 22-footer from the left side to tie the score at 59-59 with 6:34 to play. Haston then scored on a rebound to give Indiana its first lead since early in the first half.

Indiana and Indiana State had not met since 1991, when the Hoosiers routed the Sycamores 94-44 in the Hoosier Classic in Indianapolis. Saturday's game marked their first meeting in Bloomington since 1960.

Indiana leads the series 15-2.

Indiana state took advantage of the Hoosiers' cold shooting in the first half, using its transition game to bolt to a 19-9 lead. Indiana, repeatedly missing down low, went scoreless for 5:10.

Haston hit three shots to fuel an 8-0 spurt that pulled Indiana to 19-17.

Green and Adkins then scored five points each athe Sycamores outscored Indiana 19-2 over the last five minutes of the half.

The Sycamores hit nine of 14 3-point baskets in the half and were 18-of-32 from the floor. Indiana was one-for-seven from three-point range and 11-of-31 from the floor before intermission.

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