How bad was it? According to ESPN Stats, Indiana suffered its worst home loss to Purdue since 1934, and the 21-point margin ties for the fifth worst loss by the Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Indiana led very early in the game, but two quick fouls on both Mackenzie Mgbako and Kel’el Ware helped quickly turn the tide. Purdue steamrolled IU over the final 15 minutes of the first half to take a commanding 51-29 lead into the halftime locker room. Indiana came out fighting in the second half and pulled back to within nine, but the massive lead proved insurmountable.
Let’s take a deeper look at how IU lost 87-66 with another edition of The Report Card.
Indiana (12-6, 4-3) will next travel to Wisconsin on Friday.
OFFENSE (D)
Mike Woodson’s decision to in effect foul double-digit scorers Mackenzie Mgbako and Kel’el Ware out of a significant portion of the first half impacted IU’s offense in a negative way. The Hoosiers scored 1.63 points per minute when they were both in the game, and 1.06 when they were both out.
Shorthanded, Indiana’s offense sputtered throughout the first half. The Hoosiers made just 35.1 percent of their shots before the break, including just 2-of-12 (16.7 percent) from three. Those are stats that get teams blown out against Purdue, and IU fell behind by 22 at the break.
Woodson saw some open looks his team missed, but even if they made half of the number he tracked, the game still would have been out of hand.
“I thought in the first half we got some good looks,” Woodson said. “I charted, there were eight or nine open shots that we just didn’t make. Those empty possessions that you leave on the table, and you come down and either we fouled or they scored, I mean, it wasn’t a good combination for us the way we were playing.”
Indiana scored just .929 points per possession, clearly not enough to hang with a highly efficient offense like Purdue’s. One figure that clearly stood out was Indiana’s 13.8 free throw attempt rate (FTA/FGA). That was a season low, and when compared to Purdue’s 43.5 percent, a major disadvantage. IU had to earn points from the field, and they weren’t efficient enough to do so, especially in the first half without two of their best scorers.
DEFENSE (D-)
Indiana absolutely had to force Purdue turnovers in this game, but they didn’t. The Boilermakers averaged 14 turnovers in their two losses in Bloomington over the last two years, but committed just eight on Tuesday. That meant more possessions that ended in shots, which meant more chances up close for All-American Zach Edey.
Edey routinely caught the ball in the post inside eight feet, and IU didn’t double often. That meant a lot of close range looks. Ware’s length appeared to bother Edey at times, as his 11-of-23 night indicates, but eventually 7-foot-4 and 300 pounds wears you down.
“We couldn’t get to Edey quick enough,” Woodson said. “I thought the way they set him up versus how we played him last season. I’ve got to get my two big guys a little more tougher. I didn’t think we played tough enough, and Edey kind of had his way. We’ve got to work on that. It’s a work in progress.”
As if Indiana didn’t have enough problems in the first half, they sent Purdue to the foul line for 16 attempts, and the Boilermakers converted on 14.
“The first half, we get some dumb fouls and unnecessary fouling and stuff,” Trey Galloway said. “That’s the difference between playing hard and not smart, and I think we had some fouls and we had foul trouble and it got away from us a little bit.”
Against a very good offensive rebounding team, Indiana actually did okay if not great on the glass. Purdue’s 30.6 offensive rebounding rate was tied for their fifth lowest of the season, although the Boilermakers did grab some key second chances late in the game to help seal the deal.
Purdue scored 1.22 points per possession, the third most Indiana has allowed this season and the most in a home game.
MORE GAME COVERAGE
- Indiana ‘got smacked’ against Purdue, and its résumé remains barren
- Woodson acknowledges he should have played Mackenzie Mgbako with two fouls
- Watch: Woodson and Galloway discuss loss to Purdue
- Watch: Purdue coach Matt Painter discusses win over Indiana
- IU basketball: Purdue 87 Indiana 66 — Three keys, highlights, final stats
- Extended highlights:
THE PLAYERS
*Trey Galloway (B-) Galloway played well enough to win, he just wasn’t surrounded by enough capable talent when his fellow starters got in foul trouble. In his last nine games he’s made 38 percent from three (14-of-37) and averaged 4.9 assists.
*Mackenzie Mgbako (C+) The freshman got IU off to a good start, and he was clearly a focal point in Indiana’s offensive game plan. He has improved considerably this season, but is of no value on the bench. While both early fouls were questionable, Mgbako has to get better at avoiding them.
*Malik Reneau (C) Purdue coach Matt Painter said Reneau was the focus of their gameplan, and that was clear. He often faced triple teams. He simply wasn’t going to have a big game with all that attention. Reneau did rebound the ball better in this one.
*Gabe Cupps (C) There were things to like, as Cupps hit a big three during the early second half run, and he was able to get past his man and into the paint at times. The team was actually +4 when he was on the court, but that was only for 22 minutes.
*Kel’el Ware (C-) Ware isn’t built with the base to push Edey out of the paint. But he was able to get a hand in his face, something Edey doesn’t see often. Just a 1-of-3 effort from two, and only six rebounds wasn’t nearly enough of an impact in 26 minutes.
C.J. Gunn (C) Gunn was brought in as things were beginning to spiral out of control in the first half. He played okay, but Indiana needed Superman with Mgbako and Ware sitting. Gunn isn’t there yet.
Anthony Walker (C) Walker ran the floor well but overall didn’t have a major impact. His lack of a reliable three-point shot limits his value in games like this.
Xavier Johnson (F) Johnson’s college career appears to be going out in flames. He nearly has as many flagrant fouls (2) over the last three games as points (4). This 0-of-5, two turnover, no assist performance was a disaster.
Payton Sparks (D) Sparks was placed in a tough position. He competed hard, but he has to recognize he isn’t in the game to try to score.
Kaleb Banks also appeared in the game briefly.
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Anthony Leal was out with an injury. Jakai Newton (knee) is out long-term.
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