After a 7-5 start to the 2001-02 season, no one was thinking about an Indiana trip to the Final Four.
But on a late January afternoon in Bloomington, the realm of what was possible for these Hoosiers took a dramatic turn.
A 3-point barrage electrified the Hoosier faithful at Assembly Hall on Jan. 26, 2002.
Dane Fife scored 20 points, and the Hoosiers set a school record with 17 3-pointers on 27 attempts in an 88-57 blowout victory over No. 9 Illinois. Guards Fife (6-of-7), Tom Coverdale (4-of-7) and Kyle Hornsby (5-of-8) combined to go 15-of-22 from long range.
Coming into the game, Bill Self’s Illini defense had allowed opponents to make just 32.2 percent of their 3-pointers, and a league-low 30.6 percent in conference play. But IU’s 3-point onslaught led to Illinois’ worst loss in 11 years.
Jared Jeffries added a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, to go with five assists, three steals and a block.
“This is what Indiana basketball is all about, playing good defense, getting open shots and having the fans behind you like this,” coach Mike Davis said after the game. “The crowd was so great today, I was excited.”
Many Indiana fans believe a dunk by Jeff Newton with 3:29 left in the first half that gave IU a nine-point lead was the loudest moment in Assembly Hall’s history.
For his part, television commentator Bill Raftery agreed.
“As good as I’ve heard this building,” he said after Newton’s authoritative left-handed and-one finish. “They are wired!”
When Self returned to Assembly Hall with Kansas last month, he brought up this game.
“The last time I came here (Tom) Coverdale, (Dane) Fife and (Kyle) Hornsby went 16-of-21 from 3. The thing I remember most is I got a chance to meet John Mellencamp. I thought that was the highlight of the deal,” Self said. “He actually sent a note back to me after we got beat by 30 saying, ‘Hey, I’m playing in Chicago if you ever want to come.’ That’s probably my fondest memory of this place until today. This place reminds me of KU, great tradition, people respect it (basketball). That’s two true blue bloods out there playing.
“You can kind of sense it’s different here from most places where you kind of have to manufacture the atmosphere. Here you don’t and you don’t have to at Kansas either. It felt a little different that way,” Self added.
The win Indiana’s third straight over a ranked opponent over a five-game span, and second-straight win by more than 30 points. Suddenly an uninspiring season was showing major promise.
The 2001-02 Hoosiers would go on to win a share of the Big Ten title and reach the national championship game.
Video credit – Galen Clavio
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