Indiana Gets Huge Game from Jordan Hulls and Matt Roth as IU Wins 88-82

It's been since January 21, 2010 since Indiana earned a Big Ten road win. Coincidentally, it was at Bryce-Jordan Center in a 67-61 win. That was the first and only Big Ten road win in the Tom Crean era before today's contest.

On Sunday, Indiana (15-1, 3-1 Big Ten) out-shot Penn State (9-8, 1-3 Big Ten) from three-point land and won 88-82 their third straight Big Ten game.

The Hoosiers were led by the three-point shooting attack from junior Jordan Hulls and senior Matt Roth. The duo shot a combined 12 for 15 from behind the arc and combined to score 50 of the Hoosiers 88 points.

Hulls led the Hoosiers in scoring with a career high 28 points of his own going seven-for-11 from the field including seven-for-nine from behind the arc. Matt Roth added 22 points of his own in going five-for-six from the field, which was all from behind the three-point line.

Those two also were perfect on four free-throw attempts (each hitting four) in the last couple of minutes to seal the victory.

If it wasn't for those two, I don't know if Indiana would have won this game.

Hulls sparked Indiana in the first half by going five-for-six from three point land with the only miss coming off a steal at mid court right before time expired for half. His near half-court heave almost went in, but rimmed out.

Right before that, Matt Roth got going in the game by getting fouled while shooting a three with just over two seconds left. Roth hit all three free throws and gave Indiana a 42-37 halftime lead.

Indiana at one point in the first half hit seven straight threes before Remy Abell missed one with just under seven minutes to go in the half. Indiana finished a combined eight-for-12 in the half from behind the arc.

You would have thought at halftime the Nittany Lions would have discussed how to guard Jordan Hulls. They failed in the attempt if that was their key.

Hulls nailed his sixth three of the game, a wide open shot on the first possession to open the second half from the left side corner. Following that, Cody Zeller got four straight quick points and put Indiana up 49-39 within the first five minutes of the half.

Penn State was pesky and wouldn't go away, so that's where Matt Roth and Jordan Hulls stepped up and wouldn't led Indiana lose. Those two combined to score 31 points in the half, and every time Penn State made a run they would nail a big shot.

Nothing against Hoosiers guard Daniel Moore, but when he came in for Hulls on Sunday, that's when Penn State made a run. Once Hulls came back in with just over 10 minutes left in the game, he drove and found freshman Remy Abell, who hit three of his five points to extend the Hoosier lead back to six at 59-53.

After a Penn State free throw, Hulls found Roth for another three to make the score 62-54. On the next Penn State possession, they missed a shot, and Hulls found Roth in front of the IU bench for another three to extend the lead to 11 at 65-54.

That's three straight possessions, and three straight threes once Hulls was put back in the game. That was the key.

Penn State made another effort behind Billy Oliver's two threes, but Roth hit another big three with just over five minutes left to give Indiana a 73-65 lead. Indiana followed that up on the next possession off a bad Tim Frazier shot, and Hulls once again found his buddy Roth off the fast break for his final three of the day to make the score 76-65.

Indiana finished the game 24 for 47 (51 percent) from the field, including 16-for-24 (66 percent) from behind the arc. The 16 threes made was the most in the Tom Crean era, and it is tied for third all-time in three point shots made in school history. The record is 17, which was done twice, once in 2002 against Illinois, and the last time in 2007 against Penn State.

Penn State shot 27-for-59 (45 percent) from the field and seven-for-23 (30 percent) from behind the arc. The Nittany Lions out-rebounded Indiana 28-27 and forced 16 Hoosier turnovers to their nine.

Penn State was led by Tim Frazier with 21 points and seven assists, and Jermaine Marshall added 20 of his own. Those were the only two Nittany Lions to score in double digits.

The Hoosiers next play host to the Minnesota Golden Gophers at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time next Thursday on the Big Ten Network. The other game next week will be a rematch of the New Years Eve thriller with Ohio State in Columbus on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. EST on CBS.