Hoosiers shock No. 7 Boilermakers

INDIANAPOLIS -- Point guard Heather Cassady and center Jill Chapman had never beaten Purdue.\nThat is, until Sunday, when the two seniors refused to allow the ugly blemish of a 0-8 record against their ultra-respected, in-state rival to remain on their college resumes. \nThe fifth-seeded women's basketball team (16-13) limited the top-seed Boilermakers (24-5) to 25 percent shooting en route to a 55-41 semifinal victory in the Big Ten tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse.The Hoosiers upset Purdue in front of a crowd of 9,358, which set a Big Ten tournament attendance record.\nThe Hoosiers reach the finals (7 p.m. tonight on ESPN against Penn State) for the first time in the eight-year tournament history.\n"We just wanted one more crack at it, and we got our shot," said Cassady, who finished with 13 points and five assists. "It's overwhelming right now."\nThe Hoosiers' fifth consecutive win will improve the program's visibility and respectability, IU coach Kathi Bennett said. IU is 22-31 all-time and 4-27 since Feb. 7, 1987, against No. 7 Purdue.\n"I think it's a huge, positive step in the right direction," Bennett said. "I think from a recruiting standpoint, fan base, everything. Things are changing, and we're here to stay. And we're going to get some Indiana kids.\n"What we did right here, this group is going to have a lasting impression for the future of our program."\nIU hadn't defeated Purdue, last year's NCAA runner-up, since Jan. 25, 1998, an 85-71 victory at Assembly Hall.\n"I don't think we ever honestly believed, the whole team down the line, that we could beat them," senior forward Erin McGinnis said. "They're always a very confident team and always think they just can walk all over us. I think they overlooked us. They thought it was going to be an easy game. It wasn't."\nForward Shereka Wright, Purdue's leading scorer with 16 points, said the regular-season Big Ten champions had not doubted the Hoosiers.\n"I think we take every opponent seriously," said Wright, who went 5 of 10 from the field but 6 of 11 from the foul line. She picked up her fourth foul with 5:37 left. "We always respect teams. They came out and played and we didn't."\nThe Hoosiers didn't trail after 13-12 with 5:59 left in the first half, and Purdue never led by more than five (7-2 with 15:08 left in the opening half).The Hoosiers' largest lead ballooned to 15 points with 4:49 left in the second half. \nBennett said she credited her team's defense, which limited Purdue's three-point shooting to 11 percent (1 of 9) and picked up 11 more rebounds than the Boilermakers (43-32).\nThe game paired the Big Ten's best defensive teams. Purdue topped the regular-season conference, allowing 60.6 points per game. IU ranked second with 61.4 points allowed per game. IU led 26-21 at the half.\n"Anytime you score 41 points, you're not going to beat very many people," Purdue coach Kristy Curry said. "I have to give it to Indiana. They deserved to win."\nThe Hoosiers jumped to a 31-23 lead at 17:59 in the second half after Cassady hit an open three pointer, persuading Curry to call a timeout. But IU stretched that lead to 35-23 following jumpers by forward Allison Skapin and McGinnis.\nPurdue changed the momentum after a timeout with 16:13 left and trailing 35-23. Center Mary Jo Noon (nine points, five rebounds) and Wright scored inside. Then Cassady missed a three and was called for a block against Kelly Komara's fast break. Purdue pulled to within six after forward Laura Meadow's two foul shots. \nBut IU refused to relinquish its lead, as Chapman and Cassady scored IU's next nine points to go up 44-33. Chapman led IU with 17 points and 10 rebounds, her 14th double-double. The Hoosiers closed on an 11-6 run after Wright cut the lead to nine with two free throws at 10:23.\nNear death to near champion\nBennett said the Feb. 8 car accident that left her with a broken neck and wearing a cumbersome halo device for another three to five weeks has united her team. The two-year coach had missed three games, including a 79-55 loss to Purdue in West Lafayette.\nAssociate head coach Trish Betthauser continues to lead the team from the bench because Bennett's voice and sight are limited.\nBennett said the two-car accident in Bloomington could have killed her if her neck broke to the side rather than vertically. Her second vertebra broke in two places, including near an artery. A more severe break could have punctured the artery, leading to a stroke, she said. \n"The good Lord gave me a second chance, and I'm thankful every single day," Bennett said. "I think there's something else out there for me. My faith is stronger than ever. I feel so much closer to people"