Purdue defeats Indiana 67-53 – Boiler fans, enjoy it while it lasts

Tonight wasn’t your typical in-state basketball rivalry. It’s Indiana and Purdue. The meetings go back over 100 years, and Purdue knocked off Indiana 67-53 in the 195th meeting.

Purdue fans chant “IU Sucks” at every game, displaying their obvious dislike for Indiana. Hoosier fans constantly remind the Boilers of their empty rafters, only displaying their 22 Big Ten Championships. But no NCAA National Championships.

Tonight was a scrappy game. Players got into it from the outset. I liked Jordan Hulls’ passion most specifically, when he got feisty with Purdue’s Kelsey Barlow.

Purdue took it to IU from the beginning, tallying the first six points. From there on out, it was a battle of runs including a 13-6 Boiler run to close the first half.

JaJuan Johnson is special, as is E’Twaun Moore. The Hoosiers had no answers for JJ inside and I was surprised he didn’t get the ball in the paint more often. Indiana’s weakness will soon become a strength, but not for a year or two.

That’s why Boilermakers shouldn’t be overly confident with this rivalry win. Sure, it’s a win and they all count towards the record but the 14th ranked team should dominate Indiana more than they did tonight. The talent differential was evident but somehow Indiana stuck around to make it interesting until the last four minutes.

A young Indiana team kept their composure and maintained a level-head in the loud environment. Sure, it has nothing on Assembly Hall but the sold out crowd makes the challenge even more difficult. Indiana head coach Tom Crean was proud of the way his team competed and kept a clear focus.

“These guys really battled,” said Crean. “The crowd was not a factor to them. They were ready to go. They’ve had a couple of really good days. They responded to the challenges that have been put forth to them, but they challenged each other and my coaching staff did just an incredible job of creating intensity and making them better over the last couple of days and them responding to it.”

The Hoosiers struggled shooting the ball, especially from downtown. IU didn’t make a three-pointer in the first half, and finished the game just 2-13. Free throws were another tremendous differential. Indiana made all seven attempts but Purdue got to the line four times that much and hit 23 of 28.

Painter and the Boilermakers need to enjoy their four straight wins over the Hoosiers all they can. In fact Tom Crean has yet to win in the series. However that is about to change. Purdue’s best class in a decade graduates whereas Indiana matures and recruits come to Bloomington.

The rivalry is already one of the best in the country. But next year when both Indiana and Purdue are legitimate NCAA teams, the state war will be at full strength and a tough ticket to find.

Enjoy it while you can Boilers.