Indiana looses its fourth straight game to Purdue, 74-62. The Hoosiers were paced by Trayce Jackson-Davis, who scored 16 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
points and During halftime, the 1979-80 Indiana Big Ten Championship team was honored during halftime, and former head coach Bob Knight made his return to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall after 20 years.
Indiana couldn't match Purdue underneath the basket
Indiana jumped out to a quick lead to start the, running its offense primarily from the inside out. Trayce Jackson-Davis and Joey Brunk combined for the team's first five points before Purdue responded.
When the Boilermakers found their rhythm offensively, the game started to get out of hand and the Hoosiers found themselves down by nine points when the first half ended. Purdue scored 16 points in the paint in the opening period, compared to the Hoosiers six.
Indiana head coach Archie Miller said Friday that Purdue would need to be stopped on the interior.
"Defensively, they're as good as it gets in the country," Miller said. "And offensive rebounding wise, right now they're the best in the league."
The Hoosiers' defensive attention turned to the paint and the Boilermakers capitalized on the perimeter. Purdue hit eight of 16 3-pointers during the game, led by sophomore forward Aaron Wheeler, who hit 3 of 3 on the afternoon.
The free-throw line, backcourt wasn't a factor
Until 1:06 left in the second half, only Trayce Jackson-Davis had attempted a free throw attempt. He was 8-10 from the line, while Jerome Hunter and Armaan Franklin added four attempts as the game was coming to a close.
The eight points from Jackson-Davis accounted for half of his point total as Purdue was effective at keeping him out of scoring position in the paint.
The Indiana guards combined to shoot 6-19 from the floor and committed six of the team's 14 turnovers. Rob Phinisee and Al Durham each scored five points, the most among the Hoosiers' backcourt.
Bob Knight's return to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall
After a 20-year hiatus, Bob Knight returned to Bloomington as the 1979-80 Big Ten Championship team was honored during halftime. He was in a wave of various emotions as he was reunited with fans and former players.
He was escorted onto the court by his son Pat Knight and Quinn Buckner. The crowed roared upon his entrance, screaming his name and chanting "thank you coach."
Before exiting the court, he shouted he waved to the crowd and shouted: "Play defense."
Indiana didn't follow that mantra, falling to Purdue 74-62.
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