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Gordon has another big game to lead Indiana

Nov 18, 2007 - 9:42 PM BLOOMINGTON, Indiana (Ticker) -- Through two games, Eric Gordon is having no problem living up to some lofty expectations.

Gordon scored 13 of his 21 points in the first half as eighth-ranked Indiana cruised to a 100-49 rout of Longwood on Sunday.

One of the nation's top recruits, Gordon authored up a memorable collegiate debut, collecting 33 points, six rebounds and four assists in a 99-79 triumph over Chattanooga on Monday. It marked the most points by an Indiana player in their debut since George McGinnis scored 26 against Eastern Michigan on December 1, 1970.

Gordon again started quickly, making a pair of 3-pointers in under five minutes as the Hoosiers jumped to a 17-6 lead. He also brought the crowd at Assembly Hall to its feet with a dunk with just over 13 minutes left in the half.

The 6-4 Gordon made 5-of-9 shots in the first half, which ended with the Hoosiers holding a comfortable 54-30 lead. Indiana shot 64.5 percent (20-of-31) in the first half.

Gordon made 8-of-14 shots, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range. Through two games, he has made 12-of-19 attempts from the arc.

Things continued to go the Hoosiers' way in the second half. They used a 14-2 run to open the half and led by as many as 55 points en route to their second straight lopsided win.

"As far as our team today, I just think we continue to get better," Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson said. "Our defense is going to come along. One thing that we talked about last night in our film session was that we have so many new players, they are going to make mistakes so we just have to be patient with them. You can tell that every time we hit the court, we're improving."

Jordan Crawford scored 16 points and Armon Bassett added 12 of his 14 in the first half for the Hoosiers, who placed six players in double figures. Indiana shot 59 percent (38-of-64), including 11-of-18 from the arc.

In its first season as a Division I team, Longwood (2-2) fell to 0-5 all-time against ranked opponents. The Lancers were playing a ranked team for the first time since a 90-77 loss to then-No. 4 Villanova in December 2005.

Ryan Bogan scored 12 points to pace Longwood, which shot just 26 percent (16-of-61).

"First of all, that is a team that you will have difficulty finding seven teams around the country that are better than that," Longwood coach Mike Gillian said. "They have talent, leadership and there is a poise that exists when you have guys with that level of ability. It's not physical talent, or even mental talent, but emotional stability that just controls the flow of the game and it is at a different level here."