With just over five minutes remaining against No. 12 Purdue on Tuesday, Indiana men’s basketball held a comfortable 10 point advantage. The Hoosiers held the lead for over 30 minutes of playing time.
Yet, over the final few minutes, the Boilermakers made a push and cut the deficit to just two points with 1:28 remaining on the clock. It was a moment that likely felt like deja vu for Indiana basketball fans. This wasn’t the first time this season a Hoosiers’ lead would be wiped clean in the second half.
However, this time was different for Indiana.
The Cream and Crimson didn’t collapse like they did against the University of Kentucky, then-No. 10 Nebraska and then-No. 12 Michigan State. Instead, redshirt senior guard Conor Enright knocked down a clutch shot from beyond the arc and drew two foul shots 49 seconds later to seal the 72-67 victory over the Boilermakers on Tuesday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
“That was a huge shot for us,” Indiana head coach Darian DeVries said postgame. “You know he's (Enright) not afraid. He just loves the moment, and he loves competing and the challenge of everything.”
Indiana was not afraid to compete against the Boilermakers, and did so for the full 40 minutes — a feat it had yet to do against a quality opponent this season.
Following the victory, DeVries said his team had previously played well during portions and stretches of past games but needed to fix the mistakes that would compile into large runs.
Against Nebraska on Jan. 10, the Hoosiers had an opportunity to pick up a top-10 win yet gave away a second-half 16-point advantage in the loss. In the following game, the Hoosiers had another marquee-win opportunity against Michigan State, but a sloppy Indiana second half turned a tied game with 13 minutes remaining into a 21-point loss.
However, against the Boilermakers, Indiana looked to have learned from those costly mistakes. Instead of turnovers and forced shots, it made game-winning shots and didn’t allow Purdue to take the game back, earning its first signature win of the season.
“We had a bend-but-don't-break mentality,” junior guard Nick Dorn said. “We know that they're going to go on runs, it's a game of runs. And we just have to be able to weather the storm and be able to push for it when we need it and finish plays.”
It took a team effort for the Hoosiers to defeat the Boilermakers, as nearly every player contributed in different ways to secure the victory.
Fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson led the Hoosiers scoring with 19 points on 7-of-18 shooting from the field. However, Dorn was close behind with 18 points, including four made 3-pointers.
Redshirt senior guard Tucker DeVries was held to single-digit scoring but was just one point short of his second straight double-double performance. Junior guard Jasai Miles, senior forward Reed Bailey and freshman forward Trent Sisley added five, nine and two points off the bench, respectively. And while Enright only tallied eight points in the contest, all of them came in the second half, including five critical points in the final two minutes of the game.
Indiana knocked down shots and got stops defensively when it needed. As a team, the Hoosiers shot 46% from the field and made 12 of their 33 3-pointer attempts. The Hoosiers’ defense stepped up, forcing 10 turnovers and limiting the Boilermakers to just 67 points — tied for its second lowest scoring outing of the season.
“And I think we did a really good job, like I said before, of five guys playing defense on one guy at the same time, if that makes sense,” Enright said. “Just being super connected and taking away everything and connecting and covering for one another when we need to.”
After going through a disappointing four-game losing streak, a victory over Purdue marked two consecutive wins for the Cream and Crimson and their first marquee win of the season. It was a success that could propel momentum for the remainer of Big Ten play and add boost to the Hoosiers’ NCAA Tournament resume.
“I'm just proud of this team.” Darian DeVries said postgame. “They've continued to battle and work like I've been telling you. They had a little tough stretch, but they continue to believe, continue to believe in the work they're putting in. So I'm proud of them to see the results they've had here on a road win and now a big home win.”
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Nathan Shriberg (@NShriberg and naashri@iu.edu) and columnist Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki8773 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
