Over and back, over and back. The Illini will play it over a thousand times, but nothing can bring this one back.
Indiana got a big break at the end Thursday night, but it wasn`t a miscarriage of justice. The Hoosiers made their own breaks with a five-man defensive scramble and a one-man show on offense–Steve Alford`s 24 points.
So Bobby Knight`s team escaped with a well-deserved 61-60 victory to take over first place in the Big 10 from faltering Michigan. Chief official Verl Sell overruled a disputed decision by colleague Eric Harmon in the final seconds to blunt the Illini`s last-ditch charge.
The Hoosiers had the ball and a one-point lead with 43 seconds to go when reserve Stew Robinson reached the midcourt line, warily put one foot across, then froze at the sound of Harmon`s whistle.
Illini guard Bruce Douglas pantomimed ”over and back” and the Assembly Hall crowd of 16,349 erupted when Harmon ruled that Robinson had committed the violation, turning the ball over to Illinois. The home fans` joy was short-lived because Sell decreed that Robinson had not brought the ball over and back–the new wording of the NCAA rule–so Indiana still had possession.
”Let`s suppose it was a bad call,” said Illini coach Lou Henson, trying to keep his composure. ”You can`t argue about one of those things, but the lead official talked him (Harmon) out of it.
”Through 31 years of coaching, I`ve never seen that happen before.”
So it was still 61-60, Indiana, when the Illini got the ball back after a missed shot by Alford with 2 seconds left. They maneuvered it upcourt and let Tony Wysinger try the game-winning shot. His 12-footer, partially deflected by Todd Meier, fell short, and Efrem Winters` tip-in try also failed.
”I had time to take one dribble and shoot,” said the disconsolate Wysinger. ”It just didn`t go.”
So Indiana (10-3 in the league, 18-5 overall) took the Big 10 lead by a half-game over Michigan. The Illini fell to 8-6, 17-8.
Knight, a model of decorum on the bench all evening, defended Sell`s move.
”I can take the ball right up to the line, make my move and bring my foot back if the ball isn`t across the line,” he said. ”That rule was just put in this season.”
It looked as though the Illini were ready when they took an 8-0 lead, with Douglas scoring the first half-dozen points. It didn`t seem too costly when forward Anthony Welch failed to convert a fast break that would have made it 10-0, but that was an omen.
Knight called a timeout, tightened the screws on defense and the party was over for Illinois. Indiana scored 11 straight points, never again trailed and spent the rest of the evening making life miserable for Welch and Winters. Those Illini forwards were outscored 17-6 by Indiana`s Rick Calloway and Andre Harris. Their combined rebound total was topped by Harris 11-8, and the usually dependable Welch, 0-for-3 from the floor, was frustrated by Indiana`s switching, helping defense.
So the scoring burden fell entirely on Ken Norman, who responded with 20 points to pace the losers. Douglas and Wysinger combined for 25 points, but Henson blamed his guards for repeated failure to convert fast-break opportunities.
”We`re doubtless the worst fast-break team in America,” Henson said.
”I never coached a team this bad at it. We don`t have anybody who can handle the ball on the break.”
In beating Illinois for the second time this season, Indiana had much more success in shutting off the Illini`s front-line offense. Only one basket and three rebounds came from a starting Illini forward in the opening half.
”Nobody played really well,” said Henson, refusing to point the finger at Winters and Welch. ”We missed a lot of open 15-foot shots, so all Indiana had to do was drop back and jam up the middle.”
The Hoosiers did that with a will, despite second-half foul jeopardy for Calloway, Harris and center Daryl Thomas. The Illini tried to let Norman take over in the middle when Thomas fouled out with 7:47 to go, but Meier and the other Indiana substitutes refused to let him run wild.
”Neither of these teams is capable of getting a lot done on offense against the kind of strong defense played tonight,” Knight noted. ”The top offensive players, Norman and Alford, will determine what happens on offense in that situation.”
Alford did just that, opening a 34-28 halftime spread for the visitors with a personal 6-point spree in the closing 1:53.
”Alford moves very well without the ball,” conceded Douglas, who tried with mixed success to slow down the Olympic guard. ”Indiana is so patient on offense. They get it to him for a good shot after you`re tired from fighting through picks.”
Alford held the ball as long as possible after Sell decreed that it still belonged to Indiana with 43 seconds left. Instead of putting the deadly free- throw shooter on the line, Illinois chased Alford until he had to shoot with 2 seconds left.
The Illini called time, and Douglas passed to Norman at midcourt. Norman dropped the ball, signaled for another timeout–and still 2 seconds remained. It was just enough time for Wysinger to miss on the shot that could have won for Illinois.
