clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

3/5 Big Ten Recap: Purdue Escapes Indiana

Recap all the Big Ten action from Saturday.

Syndication: Journal-Courier Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Big Ten only had one game on Saturday, but it was a big one. Indiana went on the road to battle arch-rival Purdue in what figured to be an important game for both sides.

Let’s take a look at what happened.

Game of the Night:

-No. 8 Purdue Boilermakers 69, Indiana Hoosiers 67

This was the second meeting between these two this season. And while Indiana won the first meeting, few expected that this time around, particularly with how the teams had been trending in recent weeks. Both had undergone some bumps, but Indiana entered Saturday in a tailspin, having lost six of the team’s last eight games.

However, the game itself would go down to the wire. The teams traded buckets during the first half before Indiana came on strong in the second half, eventually grabbing a lead around the 10-minute mark. Unfortunately for Hoosier fans, Indiana couldn’t maintain it and Purdue eventually squeaked out a narrow 69-67 win. Eric Hunter led the way for the Boilermakers with 17 points, five assists, and five rebounds.

For Purdue, the win caps off a quality regular season. The Boilers finished 25-6 overall and 14-6 in Big Ten play. Purdue can also still earn the two seed in the Big Ten Tournament with an Illinois loss on Sunday. While fans are disappointed the team couldn’t grab a share of the Big Ten title this week, that’s not exactly a terrible performance. And the season’s not over yet. Purdue still has plenty of runway ahead.

On the other side, Indiana fell to 18-12 overall and 9-11 in Big Ten play with the loss. It capped off what’s been a remarkable collapse for the Hoosiers over the last month. Despite having what seemed like a near bulletproof resume, Indiana now finds itself heading to Indy in desperate need of a win or two to even get in the NCAA field.