Indiana men’s basketball entered Tuesday night’s contest against in-state rival Purdue looking to win for the fourth consecutive time in the series. Instead, the Boilermakers obliterated the Hoosiers early with a 22-point halftime lead. Despite a second half comeback effort, Indiana failed to overcome the early difference in an 87-66 loss.
Freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako starred early, scoring Indiana’s first 7 points including a 3-pointer on the first possession. However, Purdue countered with buckets inside from senior center Zach Edey and fifth-year senior guard Lance Jones connecting from deep. A steal and ensuing jumper from Jones gave Purdue its first lead at 9-7 just before the first media timeout.
After a strong start, fouls started to rack up against the Hoosiers and it proved harmful. Mgbako committed his second infraction less than five minutes in, and sophomore center Kel’el Ware did the same two minutes later. The main recipient was the 7-foot-4 Edey — he leads Division I in free throw attempts this season.
The Boilermakers took advantage with a 14-4 run to break the game open to grab a 25-13 lead. Edey made four free throws in that stretch, and sophomore guard Fletcher Loyer hit two triples to pace Purdue.
A quick spurt from the Hoosiers cut the deficit to 7 points with eight minutes remaining in the half, but the Boilermakers persisted and continued to pull away. Whether it was Edey having his way inside, an Indiana foul or an open look from long distance, the Hoosiers couldn’t manage to slow Purdue down.
Indiana continued to search for an offensive answer while Purdue piled it on. A 9-0 stretch gave the Boilermakers a 19-point lead with two minutes to go in the frame. In the process, Indiana fifth-year senior guard Xavier Johnson committed a Flagrant 1 foul — an infraction junior forward Payton Sparks committed earlier in the half.
The two teams exchanged buckets as the half wound down before Jones sniped a corner 3-pointer to give Purdue a 51-29 halftime advantage.
After being booed off the court heading into the break, Indiana came out and showed signs of life. A 13-2 run in the first three minutes of the frame reinvigorated the Assembly Hall crowd and shook the Boilermakers. Senior guard Trey Galloway spearheaded the run with two 3-pointers.
The Hoosiers’ momentum continued. They increased the pace and took advantage with a pair of fast break baskets before a 3-pointer from freshman guard Gabe Cupps made it a 9-point deficit with 14:36 remaining — the first time trailing by less than 10 since the 7:22 mark of the first half.
However, Indiana’s offense stalled, and Purdue regained control. A 13-5 Boilermaker run created a 17-point deficit with under eight minutes remaining in the game, as the Hoosiers started to run out of time to mount a comeback.
After spending copious amounts of energy to claw back from the large deficit, the Hoosiers ran out of gas late. A near four-minute Indiana scoring drought opened a 24-point Purdue lead — its largest of the game — before settling for a final of 87-66.
Edey overpowered Indiana’s front court in a dominant 33-point, 14-rebound effort. He impacted Indiana’s inside shooting as well, as Ware and sophomore forward Malik Reneau combined to shoot 6-for-16.
The Hoosiers made one more 3-pointer than the Boilermakers and just two less field goals, but Purdue shot 22-for-27 at the free throw line compared to Indiana’s 4-for-9 performance.
Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
