Assembly Hall lived up to its Big10 nickname Wednesday with some help from Ed Hightower's crew. In total, 43 fouls were called for a combined 44 trips to the free throw line. However, Purdue overcame its sub-60% free throw percentage to overcome the Hoosiers by 11 points.
Purdue saw trouble early with star center and Player of the Year candidate JaJuan Johnson getting 2 fouls in the first half. They finished the half with a combination of freshman Travis Carroll and sophomore Patrick Bade, both contributing quality performances in the absence of the All-American Johnson. In the second half, Johnson was able to come alive a bit more and finished the night leading all scorers with 20 points and nearly eclipsing a double-double with 9 rebounds.
The Boilermakers also had quality time from freshman Terone Johnson and sophomore DJ Byrd. Terone made three of his six three point basket attempts on nine points, while Byrd added 11 on 3-7 from three point range. Senior All-American shooting guard E'Twaun Moore was the second scorer for the Boilers with 17 points, and also added an understated six rebounds, five assists, and a momentum-changing block late in the game to help the Boilers seal the victory.
Indiana saw a slow first half from its star guard Jordan Hulls, but the sophomore came alive in the second half, adding 13 points for a total of 15 on the game. However, the stifling defense of the Boilers never allowed the Hoosiers to take a lead, despite a number of runs that put them within striking distance throughout the game.
Purdue gets to 12-3 in Big10 play, still one game back from the Buckeyes. The Boilers finish out their season with games at Michigan State, at home against Illinois, and at Iowa. Indiana falls to 3-12 in conference games. Indiana faces a tough closing to their season with games at Ohio State, against Wisconsin, and at Illinois.