Fans, team-game help defeat Purdue

Senior guard A.J. Moye strutted off the court and held out his jersey so all the fans could see the INDIANA embroidered on it. The Hoosiers now hold sole possession of first place in the Big Ten. \nIU (11-6, 5-1 Big Ten) upset No. 21 Purdue (14-5, 4-2) in what was clearly a team effort with eight different Hoosiers contributing points to the 63-58 win.\n"When we take the court, we don't feel like we can lose," Moye said.\nEarlier this week, Purdue coach Gene Keady said sophomore guard Bracey Wright would be the player his team would have to contain. But little did the Purdue team know there would be so many others who would impact the IU win.\nWright, this week's Big Ten co-Player of the Week, entered the game averaging 16.8 points per game, but only had three points in the first half and finished with a total of 10. \n"All year (IU) coach, (Mike) Davis, has been telling me and (Marshall) Strickland that we've got to be able to relieve some tension off Bracey," Moye said. \nWright did, however, score some key baskets at the end of the game and had an assist to freshman guard Roderick Wilmont who hit two treys in the last minute.\nWilmont said it shouldn't matter how many points Wright scores, as long as the team wins. Davis said in practice they would have to step up with opponents being so hard on Wright.\nKeady said it was seniors Moye and center George Leach who hurt his Boilermakers. Moye had 15 points and three rebounds, while Leach contributed 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks.\nDavis attributed the win to his whole team and said it is amazing what can happen with two guards like Wright and Strickland shooting the ball.\n"Moye and George also did a great job," Davis said. "It was great for Bracey to pass the basketball to them."\nIU players also worked together to control the number of fouls against them. Only one Purdue player -- senior forward Brett Buscher -- had two shots from the free-throw line, and missed them both. \nBesides noting the IU win was a teamwide effort, Davis said it was the fans who helped win the game the Hoosiers.\n"We needed the support," Davis said. "Our crowd was unbelievable. There were times when we relaxed and laid down, but they kept us going."\nFrom the red wigs worn at the South end of the court to the constant cheering from the all the fans, the crowd was the loudest Davis said he'd heard all year, and hopes to have that kind of support at every home game.\nEven former NBA player Patrick Ewing, currently an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets, made the trip from Texas to see his son, freshman forward Pat Ewing Jr. play for IU. Ewing had four points -- two of which came on a dunk with five minutes left in the first half. Like almost every basket scored Tuesday night, it brought the crowd of 17,161 to its feet.\nBetween the Hoosiers' intensity and the loud cheers from the fans, Assembly Hall provided a tough place for the Boilermakers to play.\nKeady said he had warned his team of the atmosphere they would face Tuesday.\n"We told them there would be a lot of noise," Keady said. "It's a challenge to be productive in a hostile environment."\nWilmont, who said the fans were one of the reasons he came to IU, said the team is putting it all together to come out with big wins.\n"We've got one goal right now and that's to win the Big Ten," Wilmont said. "And each game counts." \n-- Contact staff writer Natalie A. Trout at natrout@indiana.edu.