BB ALL-STARS: Indiana sweeps Kentucky to push series streak to nine

From jconline.com

INDIANAPOLIS – Purdue’s Terone Johnson and the 2010 Indiana All-Stars enjoyed a two-game sweep of Kentucky.

Incoming Boilermaker point guard Ronnie Johnson didn’t want to be outdone by his older brother, so during the final 20 minutes June 9 in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, he took matters into his own hands to help rally Indiana to an 83-73 victory in front of a crowd of 5,938.

Kentucky led 41-40 at halftime, but Johnson – who finished with seven points, five rebounds, and four assists in only 17 minutes – pulled Indiana out of its mid-game funk.

After blowing a 16-point lead and then rallying for a 90-85 win in Louisville Friday, the sweep means Indiana now has beaten Kentucky nine consecutive times and, beginning with the second game in 2004, has won 16 of 17 to lead the series 88-42.

Michigan State-bound Mr. Basketball Gary Harris led Indiana with 17 points, while Indiana recruit Ron Patterson added 14.

“In the second half, we ran a little bit more,” Johnson said. “Everybody started running the lanes and playing better defense. The first half, our defense wasn’t that good. I think after winning Friday night (In Louisville), it took us a little bit to get back in the flow.

“We had long practices, but that’s not an excuse. We still had to come out here and play our hardest. We take pride in winning nine in a row, and it has to be on defense, too, not just offense.”

Johnson is proud that his family has had a hand in four Indiana victories against Kentucky in the past three years.

“I wanted for our team to come out here and do the same thing his team did two years ago,” Johnson said. “We both ended up with wins. I thought I played all right.

“In the second half, I was better, but overall, I could have played a lot better. I should have knocked down my free throws (0 of 4).”

Indiana recruit Jeremy Hollowell added nine points and nine rebounds, helping the Hoosiers outrebound Kentucky 49-45.

Glenn Robinson III, son of former Purdue All-American Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson and a Michigan recruit, had just three points and four rebounds. But his interior defense altered many Kentucky shots, especially in the pivotal second half when Indiana outscored Kentucky 43-32.

“Our second half was much better,” Robinson said. “We came out with a lot more intensity and with the mindset that we were going to get stops on defense. That allowed us to come away with this thing.

“We accomplished our goal, which was to win all four games we played this week (two exhibitions versus the Junior All-Stars and a sweep of Kentucky). It was a long, tough week, but we came away with the wins. We were not going to be that team that broke this winning streak. I did enjoy it very much. I had fun.”

While Indiana made only 11 of 25 free throws, it shot 46 percent from the field in a second half where Harris and Patterson combined for 18 of their 31 points. Harris, the son of former Purdue All-American Joy Holmes Harris who led Indiana scorers with 24 points Friday, was selected the game’s most valuable player after shooting 6 of 11, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Kentucky got 16 points from Jay Johnson and 12 from D.J. Townsend, Turnovers hurt Kentucky, whose 22 were 10 more than Indiana.

Indiana point guards Johnson and Yogi Ferrell, meanwhile, made only one turnover each in 40 minutes.