Quick Thoughts: IU 97, Purdue 60
What just happened:
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After a layup and a foul late in the second half, Will Sheehey turned to the Purdue student section, threw his arms in the air and had a few words for the raucous crowd.
Whether his coach Tom Crean appreciated the move or not, the point remained -- IU marched in to Mackey Arena and toyed with Purdue all Wednesday evening.
The No. 3 Hoosiers (19-2) defeated Purdue 97-60 in the largest win for IU in the rivalry series since 1992.
Cody Zeller led five Hoosier scorers in double figures with 19 points, while adding 11 rebounds.
What it means:
The Hoosiers move to 7-1 in the Big Ten standings and remain tied with Michigan for the top spot. Both teams are a half-game ahead of Michigan State and Ohio State.
As well, temporary in-state bragging rights were on the line Wednesday, and the Hoosiers have now won three in a row against their gold-and-black rivals. That is the longest streak in IU's favor since 2006.
It's the largest win for IU in the series since a 106-65 victory on Jan. 28, 1992.
And the stage is now set for the marquee matchup to date this season when Michigan visits Bloomington on Saturday. The No. 1 Woverines and No. 3 Hoosiers will be playing for the Big Ten lead, a giant resume building win in terms of NCAA seeding. And an IU win could mean a return to the No. 1 ranking come Monday.
How it happened:
The Hoosiers came out from the beginning in a full court defense and the pressure quickly got to the struggling Boilers (11-10).
IU broke open by outscoring the Boilers 29-10 in the final 11 minutes of the first half, while forcing nine first half turnovers.
The route was on in the second half, and it seemed like every Hoosier had an opportunity. Besides Zeller, Christian Watford (17 points), Victor Oladipo (17 points), Yogi Ferrell (11 points) and Jordan Hulls (10 points) were also in double figures.
And Derek Elston scored his first points since a game against Jacksonville in December.
Key player:
Sometime he goes under the radar, despite his 7-foot stature. But Cody Zeller dominated Wednesday with the 17 points and 11 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end. He also added two assists and two steals.
A.J. Hammons led Purdue with 30 points.
Key stat:
Purdue made just four more field goals (22) than it had turnovers (18).
Up next:
The Hoosiers welcome ESPN GameDay to Bloomington on Saturday morning, followed by 9 p.m. showdown vs. No. 1 Michigan. The game will air on ESPN.