As part of the Barn Burner Trophy series, Indiana hosted Purdue in the first of this season’s two meetings with the Boilermakers.
The Hoosiers defeated the Boilermakers 78-56, winning their 12th straight game in the rivalry. Ten of those 12 wins have been decided by double digits.
While any rivalry game holds significance, this one was crucial for Indiana due to its status as a bubble team in the NCAA Tournament conversation.
After back-to-back road losses, this was a game IU absolutely had to win—and it did—making a statement against its in-state rival.
Sydney Parrish, Yarden Garzon and Shay Ciezki all filled up the stat sheet as Indiana’s double-digit scorers, while Kendall Puryear led the Boilermakers with 15 points.
The Hoosiers may have been outscored in the second half, but their dominant start to the game was too much for Purdue to overcome, leading to a much-needed IU win.
In the latest edition of this heated rivalry, here’s how it happened:
HOOSIERS START RED HOT ON BOTH SIDES
Coming off back-to-back losses, the Hoosiers took their frustration out on Purdue early. They jumped out to a 20-2 start, and the game felt out of hand almost before it began.
Yarden Garzon scored the first five points with a mid-range jumper and a 3-pointer, but Purdue responded with a basket to make it a 5-2 game.
From there, the Hoosiers took off. They scored 15 straight points, dominating on both ends of the court in the early going.
Sydney Parrish knocked down a triple, followed by Chloe Moore-McNeil draining a 3-pointer. Then Shay Ciezki converted a transition and-1 layup off a turnover.
Indiana wasn’t done, scoring two more fast-break layups to cap a 15-0 run and take a commanding 20-2 lead before either team could catch its breath.
The Hoosiers shot 8-of-11 during the run, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, which gave their offense the spark it needed. However, it wasn’t just the offense that shined—their defense fueled the fast-break opportunities.
Purdue turned the ball over four times during this stretch and made just one of its five shots, allowing Indiana to build a substantial lead while the Boilermakers struggled to find their footing.
This dominant opening stretch gave Indiana the cushion it needed to cruise to victory. Purdue never came close to recovering after such an impressive start from IU.
HOOSIERS COAST TO VICTORY AFTER DOMINANT START
While the first five minutes of a game usually don’t determine the final result, they certainly did here, as the Hoosiers used their early 18-point lead to cruise to an easy win.
The lead stretched to 20 points just before the first-quarter buzzer, with Indiana holding a commanding 30-10 advantage heading into the second period.
The Hoosiers shot 12-of-20 from the floor in the first quarter, while Purdue managed just 4-of-11. These trends continued in the second, as IU maintained its shooting efficiency while Purdue struggled to find offensive rhythm.
Indiana shot 7-of-13 in the second quarter, compared to Purdue’s 5-of-14, bringing IU’s shooting percentage to 58% for the first half while Purdue lagged behind at 36%.
Six Hoosiers contributed to the scoring in the first 20 minutes, with Sydney Parrish and Yarden Garzon leading the way with 15 and 12 points, respectively.
The third and fourth quarters followed a similar pattern, as IU kept its large lead throughout the second half. Purdue shot much better in the final 20 minutes, but Indiana didn’t maintain the same energy it had early on.
The Boilermakers shot 7-of-14 in the third quarter—a notable improvement—but only trimmed the IU lead by four points. Turnovers plagued the Hoosiers during the period, as they gave the ball away six times. Still, IU kept up its shooting efficiency, going 6-of-10 from the field and a perfect 1-of-1 from beyond the arc.
In the fourth quarter, Indiana and Purdue each scored 11 points, with the game well out of reach. The Hoosiers shot just 3-of-13 in the final 10 minutes, while Purdue went 5-of-11. Most of these shots came with the outcome already decided.
When all was said and done, Indiana secured the dominant win, though its second-half performance left room for improvement. Nonetheless, a win is a win, and IU picked up a much-needed victory after back-to-back losses.
GARZON, PARRISH AND CIEZKI ALL HAVE BIG DAYS
Indiana was sound offensively from start to finish, led by its "big three" of Yarden Garzon, Sydney Parrish, and Shay Ciezki.
The trio were the only Hoosiers to score in double digits, but that proved more than enough as all three contributed both inside and from beyond the arc, hitting key shots throughout the game.
Sydney Parrish led Indiana with 19 points, starting strong with 15 in the first half and finishing with an efficient 7-for-11 shooting performance. Parrish also shot 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
Shay Ciezki followed with 16 points, going 6-of-10 from the field, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. In contrast to Parrish, half of Ciezki's points came in the second half.
Yarden Garzon added 18 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the floor and 2-of-5 from deep. Like Parrish, most of her scoring came before halftime, as she put up 12 points in the first 20 minutes.
The three players combined for 53 of Indiana's 78 points, playing a pivotal role in the Hoosiers' dominant performance in the Barn Burner Trophy series.
FINAL STATS
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