BLOOMINGTON—Kevin ”Yogi” Ferrell tried to stick to his normal routine Tuesday.Those around him refused.On a night No. 25 Indiana broke its own conference record for most 3-pointers in a Big Ten game and topped 100 points against a league foe for the first time in nearly four years, Ferrell was the center of attention.The senior point guard scored 16 points, made five 3s and finished with nine assists to break Michael Lewis’ school record while leading the Hoosiers to a 103-69 rout over Illinois.
”They (teammates) want Yogi to succeed because they know that Yogi is going to find them,” coach Tom Crean said. ”He sets the tone defensively, he sets the tone offensively.”
Especially in a game he didn’t want to be all about him.The Hoosiers (16-3, 6-0) had four players score in double figures, buckled down defensively and made 19 of 36 3-point attempts, breaking their own game school record (18) set last year against Minnesota. It is tied for the most by any Division I team this season.Troy Williams had a team-best 21 points and five assists and Max Bielfeldt finished with 16 points and eight rebounds as Indiana won its 11th straight.But with so many wanting to celebrate Ferrell’s milestones, the spotlight would not go away.The sellout crowd roared with approval when Ferrell delivered a nifty, no-look pass to Bielfeldt for a layup that gave Indiana a 19-11 lead with 11:19 left in the first half and Ferrell his 546th career assist, one more than Lewis.Behind the bench, Ferrell’s father kept count flashing signs each time his son notched another assist. The end came at 553.And when Crean pulled Ferrell for the final time, with 4:25 left, the coach grabbed his senior guard’s hand and raised it like Ferrell had just won the heavyweight champion.
”I didn’t know he was going to do that.” Ferrell said with a hearty laugh. ”But that was pretty special.”
Illinois (9-10, 1-5) was led by Malcolm Hill with 20 points and Kendrick Nunn with 10.But this one got away in a hurry.Indiana closed out the first half on a 20-4 run to take a 42-25 lead and opened the second half by making five of its first six shots to seal it.