IU looks to take out Purdue

A long-standing rivalry adds another storied chapter tonight in West Lafayette. \nThe IU women's basketball team squares off with the No. 12 Purdue Boilermakers at 7 p.m. at Mackey Arena. The Hoosiers (11-13, 4-10 Big Ten) will look to spring the gigantic upset when they travel north in the state to take on their old conference nemesis.\nIU has struggled away from Assembly Hall this year, compiling a 1-6 conference record on the road.\nPurdue (21-5, 10-4) is positioning itself to make another run at a Big Ten title. The Boilermakers are currently tied for second in the conference with Minnesota with 10 wins. Penn State is in first place with a mark of 12-3, and they are 22-7 overall.\nThe Boilermakers have won seven of their last nine contests. \nIU coach Kathi Bennett said she is optimistic and elated to have an opportunity at knocking Purdue out of the Big Ten title race. \n"It's going to be exciting," Bennett said. "They are vying for a Big Ten Championship, and we are traveling to their place. This group has never won at Purdue, so they are out to prove something."\nThe Hoosiers enter this contest after losing to Michigan, 75-64, in Bloomington on Sunday. Meanwhile, Purdue is coming off a 56-51 loss at Ohio State on Sunday, their first defeat since Feb. 13 when they lost at Penn State. Last year, IU outlasted Purdue, 55-41, in the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, but the Boilermakers have controlled the series recently, having won 10 of the past 11. Purdue won last year in West Lafayette by 24 points.\nThis game marks another chance for half of a Titan Point. The Titan Series is an all-sports competition between IU and Purdue that lasts throughout the school year. The Hoosiers won the inaugural Titan Series last year. Going into tonight's matchup, IU owns a 5.5-4.0 lead over Purdue in the Titan Series.\n"We're excited to play," said senior forward Lisa Eckart, who scored 22 points against Michigan on Sunday. "It brings out the best in both of us. Purdue is considered by most people as the premier women's basketball program in the state, so we want to prove those people wrong." \nEckart has been a powerful force lately for IU. She has drained 10 of her last 15 three-pointers over the last two games. She was 5-of-7 against Northwestern and 5-of-8 against Michigan from behind the three-point line.\nEckart has taken the scoring accomplishments in stride however.\n"I've had confidence in myself," Eckart said. "I've got the confidence back in my shot, and I feel I'm capable of hitting all of my shots. I know where I'm at on the court and where my defender is at all times."\nEarlier this year, the two conference foes met in a non-conference game in Indianapolis at the RCA Dome with Purdue claiming a 53-51 victory on Dec. 14. As a result, the Boilermakers claimed half of a Titan point. Bennett said the IU players have not completely forgot about that intense contest. \n"It's in the back of their minds," Bennett said. "But we need to address things that have happened in recent games. When things don't go well, we tend to let that bother us, instead of just playing through it."\nIU's most glaring problem recently has been its shooting from the field. The Hoosiers have had shooting difficulties sporadically this season. They have shot below 34 percent from the field in the last two games, both losses. \nIn IU's last three losing efforts, they have dropped those games by an average of six points per contest, including a three-point loss to then No.15 Minnesota.\n"If we play hard, we can handle losing," Eckart said. "If we don't play hard, that's another story. Everybody has to be on the same page in terms of playing hard."\nIU leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense and three-point field goal defense, limiting the opposition to 39 percent shooting from the field. In addition, the Hoosiers rank third in the conference in scoring defense, limiting opponents to a mere 61.5 points per game.\nMeanwhile, Mackey Arena is one of the toughest places to play, not only in the Big Ten, but in the country as well. Freshman center Angela Hawkins will experience the environment in West Lafayette, Ind., for the first time in her career.\n"It's going to be rowdy, noisy and packed with fans," Hawkins said. "It's something we'll have to see when we get there. The atmosphere should be incredible."\nEckart said the team is finally beginning to come together.\n"It has taken a while to come together," Eckart said. "We have had trouble mixing in the younger talent with the veteran players. It's just a matter of time before we click, and you'll be able to tell a difference when we do. Right now, we just don't have five players working hard out there at the same time. When that happens, you'll see a difference."\nFor IU, they are hoping the difference clicks tonight at Purdue.