IU beats Purdue in blowout win

Out of the gate Wednesday night, it looked as though having a raucous home crowd and packed “Paint Crew” student section could be enough to keep the Purdue Boilermakers neck-and-neck with the No. 3 team in the country.

But early foul trouble from two of Purdue’s key starters gave the IU men’s basketball team a window of opportunity to blow open the rivalry game.

The Hoosiers took full advantage late in the first half, taking control of the rivals’ first matchup of the season, serving Purdue their worst home loss in the series 97-60 Wednesday night at Mackey Arena.

In the game’s early minutes, both teams stayed within a single possession, but even down just one point, 16-15, with 11:42 remaining in the first half, the Boilermakers already were in a bit of a hole.  

Starters A.J. Hammons and D.J. Byrd had already racked up two personal fouls each, but Purdue Coach Matt Painter continued to keep his stars in the game.

The Hoosiers began to pull away, building a double-digit lead over the next 2.5 minutes, but just minutes later, with IU up 34-25, Hammons received his third personal foul. Painter had no choice but to sit his starting center, and from there, IU finished the half on a 13-2 run in the final 4:18 with Hammons on the bench.

IU Coach Tom Crean said it was huge for his team to really pressure the Boilermakers with Hammons on the bench.

“He’s going to be very good, there’s no doubt about that,” Crean said. “Our guys never took their foot off the gas pedal, so to speak, and I think that’s really, really important for us as a team to take the next step.”

Hammons, Byrd and the rest of the Purdue lineup racked up 11 fouls in the first 20 minutes, sending IU to the line for 17 free throws. Unlike some games earlier in the season, the Hoosiers took advantage of their chances from the charity stripe, missing just one attempt to help pad a 40.6 percent shooting half from the field.

Aided by a strong half at the line, the Hoosiers went into the locker room up 47-27.

But Hammons came out in the second half looking to will his team back, scoring eight of his team’s first 12 points of the half.

Hammons also had a shot to bring his team back as Zeller was called for his second and third fouls with just 15:34 and had to take a seat on the bench with foul trouble of his own.

But the Hoosiers matched Hammons and the Boilers step-for-step, as the IU lead continued to grow into the 30’s.

The Paint Crew grew quieter as the half drew on, as Hammons and the Boilermakers couldn’t muster a comeback.

With 10 minutes remaining in one of the biggest rivalry games of the college basketball season, Purdue fans began to file out in masses.

Purdue’s freshman center finished with a game-high 30 points – half of Purdue’s points on the evening – but after the game, he said plainly that he wasn’t satisfied with his performance.

“I didn’t play well because we lost,” Hammons said.

Zeller posted a game-high 13 points in the first half and led the Hoosiers with 19 points and 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double in conference play this season.

Senior forward Christian Watford followed with 17 points, including shooting 4-of-5 from behind the arc, as all of IU’s starting five reached double digits.

After the game, though, Crean said that Wednesday’s win, IU’s largest margin of victory ever in West Lafayette, went beyond more than just the numbers.

“I think they just played with a resolve,” Crean said. “You’ve got to be on top of your game. It’s not just the offensive and defensive execution.

“It’s the attitude. It’s the energy. It’s the mental toughness, and our guys had that.”