Indiana downs Nicholls State 76-66
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Yogi Ferrell scored 16 points and had a season-high eight assists, and Indiana overcame mistakes and sloppy play in a 79-66 win over Nicholls State on Friday night.
Will Sheehey and Jeremy Hollowell added 14 points apiece for the Hoosiers (9-3), who bounced back from a disappointing loss to Notre Dame by putting the Colonels away with two notable runs.
Stanford Robinson scored eight points and fellow freshman Noah Vonleh added six with nine rebounds to help Indiana win its 37th consecutive nonconference game at Assembly Hall.
Dantrell Thomas scored 15 of his 24 points in the first half for the Colonels (3-5), who got as close as 12 points in the second half but were 4-of-16 from 3-point range.
Ferrell was charged with four of the Hoosiers’ season-high 20 turnovers, 11 of which came in the first half. Indiana compensated by making 26 free throws in 35 attempts. The Hoosiers shot 55 percent from the field (24 of 44), assisting on 13 of their baskets.
For much of the night, Indiana struggled to pull away against a heavy underdog but improved to 8-0 at home by repeatedly earning trips to the line against a smaller opponent.
Devin Davis hit four of Indiana’s 11 free throws during the 23-7 run midway through the opening half that gave the Hoosiers their first double-figure lead. Hollowell’s fast-break layup with 4:30 left made it 30-16.
Indiana led 37-22 at the break, stretched the lead to 19 in the opening minutes of the second half on Sheehey’s dunk, then finally made it a 20-point game when Sheehey knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 71-50 with just over 6 minutes left.
Sheehey, who entered with just six 3-pointers this season, made two in the Hoosiers’ 16-8 spurt that took place in less than three minutes in the middle of the second half and forced a Nicholls State timeout.
The Colonels were plagued by turnovers and poor jump shooting in their final nonconference tuneup before beginning Southland Conference play Jan. 2 against New Orleans. Nicholls State shot 46 percent from the field and scored 42 points in the paint. Thomas committed three of the Colonels’ 17 turnovers.