The Hoosiers did the unthinkable on Saturday, taking down top-ranked rival Purdue 79-74 in front of a sold-out crowd at Assembly Hall. It was a historic victory, and one that was earned through a combination of lockdown defense, stellar play from Trayce Jackson-Davis, and a clutch shot from Jalen Hood-Schifino.
The Hoosiers came out of the gate with a purpose, Jackson-Davis taking it away from the taller Zach Edey and Race Thompson starting the scoring with a long two. IU set the tone with their defense, smothering every Boilermaker not named Edey and forcing a flurry of costly mistakes. Turnovers led to easy runouts and missed free throws egged on the capacity crowd.
The Boilermakers didn’t go down without a fight, getting the lead as close as one. But the Hoosiers kept finding an answer, Race Thompson pulling in two late offensive rebounds, making two crucial free throws, and snaring a steal.
It all came down to a ball screen at the top of the key, with time running down on the shot clock. Jalen Hood-Schifino used his cover to block Edey from setting up a clean block, and spun the ball up off the backboard and into the net for a five-point lead. With that, Indiana withstood Purdue’s second-half charge and knocked off No. 1.
The Hoosiers’ victory was a testament to their hard work and energy on defense, and the stellar play of Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino. It was a historic moment, and one that will be remembered for years to come.
Source: www.indystar.com