Yogi Ferrell leads Indiana past Chattanooga at NCAA Tournament
Yogi Ferrell of the Indiana Hoosiers goes up for a shot against Justin Tuoyo of the Chattanooga Mocs in the first half during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 17, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. Credit: Getty Images / Kevin C. Cox
DES MOINES, Iowa — Indiana kept its end of the bargain that was struck when the NCAA Selection Committee crafted a bracket with a potential second-round matchup between the Hoosiers and their bitter rivals from Kentucky. Some suggested the Chattanooga Mocs might be a potential sleeper, but Indiana blew it open at the beginning of the first half on the way to a 99-74 victory Thursday in a first-round game in the East Regional.
Fourth-seeded Kentucky was slated to meet 13th-seeded Stony Brook in the late game at Wells Fargo Arena.
The Hoosiers (26-7) proved to be an offensive powerhouse as they shot 64.9 percent from the field, including 62.5 percent from three-point range (10 of 16). In the second half alone, they shot a phenomenal 69.0 percent. Point guard Yogi Ferrell led the way with 20 points, including 4-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc, and added 10 assists.
OG Anunoby had 14 points, Thomas Bryant added 13, Troy Williams contributed 12 plus eight rebounds, and Max Bielfeldt had 10. Scoring in double figures for Chattanooga (29-6) were Duke Etheridge with 12 points and Dee Oldham with 10. The Mocs made only three of 17 three-point attempts.
“Our guys did a fantastic job in the second half, especially from the three-point line,” Indiana coach Tom Crean said. “We’re looking forward to see who we’re going to play next.”
Ferrell didn’t want to take anything for granted in March but said playing Kentucky “would be a great matchup between two high-powered offensive teams.”
Indiana traded baskets with Chattanooga for most of the first half, leading by just 33-30 late. But the Hoosiers asserted themselves with a 13-4 run to take a 12-point lead before the Mocs’ Tre McLean hit a three-pointer to cut the halftime deficit to 46-37.
Nine Hoosiers scored in the opening half led by Williams with eight points, and they shot 60.7 percent from the field while getting up 28 field-goal attempts to just 13 for Chattanooga.
Whatever thoughts the Mocs harbored about an upset evaporated quickly in the second half. The Hoosiers scored on their first six possessions during a 14-4 run for a 60-43 lead. Ferrell had five points and an assist during that surge.
Another 21-6 burst later in the second half, including five points each from Ferrell, Bryant and Anunoby, put the game out of reach at 95-67. The offensive display by the Big Ten regular-season champions served fair warning to their second-round opponents, especially if it turned out to be the rivals across their southern border.
Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.
