Trace Jackson-Davis returned to Indiana to celebrate a banner season.
On Saturday, the fourth-year forward added another huge piece to his legacy.
He scored 25 points and then saw 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 is the fourth time the Hoosiers have defeated the nation’s top-ranked team at Assembly Hall, and the first time since upsetting Michigan nearly 10 years ago.
“I think it’s a tough factor,” Jackson-Davies said, explaining why this team is different. “I think the teams I’ve been on in the past weren’t as tough, honestly. We’ve played with a chip on our shoulders since Rutgers gave Punk and we’ve carved our niche and that’s what we are doing.’
The only person who has come close to Jackson-Davis’ productivity over the past month is Purdue’s Zack Eddy, who had 33 points and 18 rebounds.
But it was Jackson-Davis with his sixth win in seven games to become the first Indiana player to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds within 16 points. He finished with seven rebounds and five blocks, becoming the first player since Marcus Camby against Kentucky in November 1995 to have 25 points and five blocks against a No. 1-ranked team.
Fittingly, Jackson-Davis and the Hoosiers (16-7, 7-5 Big Ten) celebrated with their fellow students, who used Christian Watford’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer to defeat No. 1 Kentucky in December 2010. Rekindled the memories. And this time, fans stayed on the court long after the final buzzer as they pumped fists and danced to the melodious sounds emanating from the pep band.
This marked the first time in the 216-game series that Purdue (22–2, 11–2) was ranked No. 1.
Jackson-Davies said, “He was honestly our sixth man and we got fed up with it.” “It was the most electrifying crowd I’ve been here since. They really helped us out.”
But Indiana also played very 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 being outshot 38–22 and holding a nearly 16-point lead.
The 7-foot-4 Eddie positioned Purdue to cut the 15-point deficit to nine, scoring eight of Purdue’s first 10 second-half points. He then added the last six points in a 12–4 spurt to make it 67–65 with 5:40 to play. And when Brayden Smith’s layup made it 71–70 with 2:03 remaining, even Boilermakers coach Matt Painter felt the anger of the fans.
“If you can flip it or tie it or lead there, it’s a different feeling,” he said. “It’s really hard to get over, let the wind out of it, let things settle down in your own zone.”
Instead, the Hoosiers forced three turnovers and eventually closed it out with four free throws, a layup from Hood-Schiffino and sank a perfectly designed inbound pass from second-year coach Mike Woodson, who Indiana has won both home meetings against Archery.
“I didn’t know the play was going to go this way,” said Hood-Schifino, who had 16 points. “But when the last time out, I told the coach I’d get this last bucket, so I was happy.”
Big picture
Purdue: Even on an unusual day, the Boilermakers showed why they’re the top team in the country. The matchup with AD is so tough, Purdue can take advantage of it at will.
Indiana: The Hoosiers did everything they needed to do early – make shots, rush the pace and generally make life difficult for the Boilermakers. And down the stretch they showed mettle on a team that was the preseason conference favorite.
Public opinion influence
Purdue entered the day with a nine-game winning streak and as the only one-losing team in Division I, so another loss could not knock them out of the top spot. Indiana, which reappeared in the Top 25 on Monday, cemented its spot despite losing earlier this week to Maryland.
Special moments
Indiana Athletics Hall of Fame radio announcer Don Fischer was honored at halftime to call his 50th season of play-by-play. He is tied with Wyoming’s Kevin McKinney for the fourth longest active tenure in Division I basketball. Then during the final media timeout, the Hoosiers thanked ESPN color analyst Dick Vitale with a video tribute to his career. Vitale stood up and shook hands with the crowd in appreciation.