For the eighth time in program history, Indiana took down No. 1. That the top team was in-state rival Purdue made this one that much sweeter. But it didn’t come easy.
IU went on a 10-0 run to take a 21-10 first half lead with 11:57 left before the break. The Hoosiers kept their foot on the gas and took a 15-point lead into halftime. But the Boilers immediately started chipping away after the break and had it down to a 5-point game with 13:15 left. IU momentarily stretched the lead back to 10, but Purdue got it down to one, 71-70 with 2:02 left. But the Hoosiers made more plays in crunch time and closed out a massive resume boosting win.
Let’s take a deeper look at how the Hoosiers won 79-74 with another edition of The Report Card.
Indiana (16-7, 7-5) will next host Rutgers at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday.
OFFENSE (A-)
Indiana was never going to maintain the torrid pace it set in the first half, when the Hoosiers scored 1.43 points per possession and 50 points, just 10 shy of what Purdue was allowing per game coming in. But IU still scored 1.22 per possession for the game, easily the most Purdue has allowed all season.
Indiana snapped Purdue’s streak of 24-straight games with holding opponents to under 70 points. It was the longest active streak in the country. Indiana’s 79 points were the most scored by a Purdue opponent this season.
But the offense did stagnate at times the second half when the Hoosiers shot just 42.9 percent and made no threes.
The first half was so good however, that the full game numbers were still quite impressive. Indiana shot 52.6 percent overall, and 40 percent from three. Their effective field goal percentage was the highest allowed by Purdue all year.
And perhaps most important, Indiana shot 83.3 percent (15-of-18) from the foul line. IU outscored Purdue by five at the charity stripe, and their 31.6 percent free throw attempt rate (FTA/FGA) was the second highest allowed by the Boilermakers this year.
Also critical — IU didn’t turn it over. They had just eight giveaways on the afternoon.
Indiana did a great job of pulling Purdue big man Zach Edey out of the paint to create driving lanes and lob opportunities. They also took full advantage of Purdue turnovers, with several fast break opportunities going the other way. The Hoosiers scored 20 points off Boilermaker miscues.
“The pick-six’s kill you, and they just kept getting in transition,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “It happened last year, too.”
DEFENSE (B+)
Indiana’s defense forced 16 turnovers, including 11 in the first half. Five of the turnovers were charged to Edey. Indiana certainly didn’t stop the 7-foot-4 big man, but they at least made him uncomfortable at times
IU was exceptionally aggressive on the perimeter, as they were into the ball at all times, especially in the first half. That at times made it a challenge to get good passes into Edey.
“I just thought our pressure early put us in a different place defensively,” IU coach Mike Woodson said. “Their team, they rarely turn the ball over. But I just thought our pressure allowed them to make mistakes.”
Purdue’s 24.7 percent turnover rate was their third worst day of the season in that regard. And led by Trey Galloway and Jalen Hood-Schifino, IU’s aggressive defense bothered Purdue’s talented freshman guards.
“I thought they played a major role,” Woodson said of Hood-Schifino and Galloway on defense. “I mean, they (Purdue guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer) had been playing extremely well and they are good players, no doubt about that. You’re not 22-1 for nothing. Those guys have helped carry the load for their ballclub. I thought tonight we did a pretty damn good job on their guards.
Indiana struggled to keep Purdue off the offensive glass all day. The Boilermakers rebounded an astounding 54.8 percent of their misses — a season best for them and a season worst for IU.
The Hoosiers were able to cut back significantly on their fouls after halftime. They committed 13 before the break and just six after.
In the end IU allowed 1.14 points per possessions. They’ve lost four games this season while allowing less. But this was the most efficient offense in the country coming into the game.
MORE GAME COVERAGE
- IU defeated Purdue by making key plays with the game on the line
- Watch: Purdue’s Painter, Edey, Jenkins and Smith discuss loss to Indiana
- Watch: Woodson, Hood-Schifino, Jackson-Davis discuss win over Purdue
- IU basketball: Indiana 79 Purdue 74 — Three keys | Highlights | Final stats
- Watch: IU honors radio legend Don Fischer at halftime of Purdue game
- Jordan Geronimo in uniform for Purdue game
- Long form highlights:
THE PLAYERS
Trayce Jackson-Davis (A) Just another star performance for a player on an All-American run. He was tremendous at reading Purdue’s double teams, running the floor, and protecting the rim. His efficiency wasn’t as good as he’s capable of as he dealt with Edey’s size, but his misses often drew so much attention they led to some second chances.
Race Thompson (B) The stat sheet won’t say he had a major role, but Thompson made clutch late free throws and read Braden Smith for a crucial late game steal. He looks like a player who is starting to get more comfortable after coming back from an injury.
Miller Kopp (B) Kopp hit some big first half shots to help IU expand its lead, and he was aggressive on the defensive end.
Jalen Hood-Schifino (A) Coming off the worst game of his career, Hood-Schifino was exceptional, including a massive last minute driving layup into the body of Zach Edey that gave IU a five-point lead. Purdue was able to take away Jackson-Davis in the last 10 minutes, but Hood-Schifino scored 12 in the second half. And he had just one turnover for the entire game.
Trey Galloway (A) Galloway was exceptional on both ends of the floor in the first half. His defense disrupted Purdue’s attack, he was effective scoring in the paint, and he made a quick release 3-pointer when he read his man going under a screen. After struggling with fouls, Galloway was able to be very aggressive while fouling just twice.
Tamar Bates (B) Bates hit a first half three. He was more aggressive on defense, but he did seem to lose track of a couple Purdue shooters on the other end.
Malik Reneau (A) This may have been Reneau’s best game of the season. He was efficient, aggressive and stayed out of foul trouble. He’s also becoming a good passer, and continues to trend favorably when it comes to composure.
Kaleb Banks (B) As his three offensive rebounds in seven minutes illustrate, Banks is bringing good energy. He missed a layup, however, and tried to make up for it on the other end and got a goal tend.
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In total, Indiana had 11 scholarship players healthy and available. Logan Duncomb was out due to an illness, and Xavier Johnson (foot) remains unavailable.
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