EVANSTON, Ill., Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Armon Bassett scored 24 points Saturday to lead 14th-ranked Indiana to an 85-82 win over Northwestern, one day after Hoosiers Coach Kelvin Sampson quit.
Sampson resigned Friday amid accusations of NCAA rules violations, after reaching a $750,000 settlement with the university to buy out his contact. Sampson's top assistant Dan Dakich became interim coach.
Six Hoosiers players skipped Dakich's first official practice Friday afternoon. Senior captain D.J. White was missing along with Bassett, Jordan Crawford, Jamarcus Ellis, DeAndre Thomas and Brandon McGee.
White, Bassett and Ellis were in Saturday's starting lineup.
Crawford scored 21 points off the bench for Indiana (23-4, 12-2 Big Ten), which has won six of seven to move into a three-way tie atop the Big Ten with Wisconsin and Purdue.
Kevin Coble led Northwestern (7-18, 0-14) with 37 points. The Wildcats have lost seven straight and are winless in the Big Ten since February 2007.
