--Allyson Burger--
The final team representing basketball crazy Indiana fell SHORT in the Sweet 16 Thursday night. And yes, pun IS intended.
The # 1 seeded IU Hoosiers lost to #4 Syracuse with a final score of 61-50 that was a hard fight from the opening tip. The Hoosiers were down a majority of the game, and seemed more than a little lost when up against the famed Syracuse defense.
The "big" story can be summed up with Yogi Ferrell and Jordan Hulls, the shortest players on the Hoosier team. At the start of the season there was concern whether the two would work well starting and playing together in the same backcourt. It did not rear its head all season until they came up against Syracuse's longer, taller, more athletic guards. The two combined for 0 points, 6 turnovers and were constantly harassed by strong veteran Syracuse D.
Another key factor in the Hoosier loss was IU having 11 shots blocked and numerous others contested heavily at the rim. Cody Zeller (most likely playing his last game in a Hoosier uniform) played more like a 6 footer than a 7 footer having 6 shots blocked and struggled inside all game long.
Though this was a disappointing post-season end for the Hoosiers, the 2012-2013 season has overall been a successful one. IU ended with a record of 29-7, and earned the Big Ten number one seed for the first time since 1993. There are high expectations for the young team next year.
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