Purdue Boilermakers at Indiana Hoosiers

Jackson-Davis, No. 21 Indiana beat Edey, No. 1 Purdue 79-74

On Saturday, the fourth-year forward added another big piece to his legacy.

He scored 25 points and then watched Jalen Hood-Schifino break free for the clinching dunk with 2 seconds left to give No. 21 Indiana a 79-74 victory over No. 1 Purdue — and a quick storming of the court.

It's the fourth time the Hoosiers have beaten the nation's top-ranked team at Assembly Hall, and the first since upsetting Michigan almost exactly 10 years earlier.

“I just think it’s a toughness factor,” Jackson-Davis said, explaining why this team is different. "I feel like teams in the past that I've been on just weren't that tough, honestly. We've kind of played with a chip on our shoulders since we got punked by Rutgers and we've kind of found our niche and that's what we're doing.'

The only guy that's been even close to Jackson-Davis' productivity over the past month has been Zach Edey, who had 33 points and 18 rebounds.

But it was Jackson-Davis who walked away with his sixth win in seven games by moving within 16 points of becoming the first Indiana player to ever score 2,000 and grab 1,000 rebounds. He finished with seven rebounds and five blocks, becoming the first player to have 25 points and five blocks against a No. 1-ranked team since Marcus Camby in November 1995 against Kentucky.

Fittingly, Jackson-Davis and the Hoosiers (16-7, 7-5 Big Ten) celebrated with their fellow students, who rekindled memories of Christian Watford's buzzer-beating 3-pointer to beat No. 1 Kentucky in December 2010. And this time, the fans lingered on the court long after the final buzzer as they pumped fists and danced to the sweet sounds emanating from the pep band.

It marked the first time in the 216-game series Purdue (22-2, 11-2) was ranked No. 1.

“They were our sixth man honestly and we fed off of it,” Jackson-Davis said. “That was the most electric crowd since I’ve been here. They really helped us.”

But Indiana also played pretty well, forcing 16 turnovers and shooting 52.6% from the field against a defense that had held 24 consecutive opponents to 70 or fewer points. It won despite getting outrebounded 38-22 and nearly blowing a 16-point lead.

The 7-foot-4 Edey positioned Purdue for the charge by scoring eight of Purdue's first 10 second-half points to cut a 15-point deficit to nine. He then added the final six points in a 12-4 spurt that make it 67-65 with 5:40 to play. And when Braden Smith's layup made it 71-70 with 2:03 left, even Boilermakers coach Matt Painter sensed the fans' angst.

“If you can flip that or tie it or take the lead there, it's just a different feeling,” he said. “It's really hard to overcome that, the air kind of goes out of it, things get quiet in your own arena."

Instead, the Hoosiers forced three turnovers and eventually closed it out with four free throws, a layup from Hood-Schifino and the dunk off a perfectly designed inbound pass from second-year coach Mike Woodson, who has won both home meetings against Indiana's archrival.

“I didn’t know the play was going to go that way, obviously,” said Hood-Schifino, who had 16 points. “But in the last timeout, I told coach I’m going to get this last bucket, so I was happy.”

BIG PICTURE

Purdue: Even on an uncharacteristic day, the Boilermakers showed why they are the nation's top team. The matchup with Edey is so difficult, Purdue can exploit it at will.

Indiana: The Hoosiers did everything they needed early — making shots, ramping up the pace and making life generally difficult for the Boilermakers. And down the stretch they showed the mettle of a team that was the preseason conference favorite.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Purdue entered the day with a nine-game winning streak and as the only one-loss team in Division I, so another loss may not knock them out of the top spot. Indiana, which reappeared Monday in the Top 25, has solidified its spot despite losing earlier this week at Maryland.

SPECIAL MOMENTS

Indiana Athletics Hall of Fame radio announcer Don Fischer was honored at halftime for calling his 50th season of play-by-play. He's tied for the fourth-longest active tenure in Division I basketball with Kevin McKinney of Wyoming. Then during the final media timeout, the Hoosiers thanked ESPN color analyst Dick Vitale with a video tribute to his career. Vitale stood and waved to the crowd in appreciation.

UP NEXT

Purdue: Returns home Thursday against Iowa.

Indiana: Hosts Rutgers on Tuesday.

How can I watch Purdue vs. Indiana?

• TV Channel: Purdue at Indiana 2021 College Basketball, week 13, is broadcasted on ESPN.
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