Another Purdue basketball thriller against rival Indiana, and another huge win for Boilers

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WEST LAFAYETTE — Another good old-fashioned Purdue basketball versus Indiana rivalry game to the wire.

In the end, it was a freshman who introduced himself into the series lore.

Gicarri Harris blocked Myles Rice’s jumper with 4 seconds to go and the Boilermakers hit four free throws in the final 3.3 seconds for an 81-76 comeback win over the Hoosiers on Friday at Mackey Arena.

How it happened: Indiana basketball vs Purdue final score: Boilermakers beat Hoosiers at Mackey Arena

Harris made two free throws after being fouled on a dunk attempt with 3:40 to go that gave Purdue a 69-67 lead and, after a 3-pointer from Mackenzie Mgbako, Fletcher Loyer’s conventional three-point play with 2:36 to go gave Purdue the lead right back. From there, the Boilers had an answer for everything Indiana threw at them.

In the first half, Purdue kept leaving the door open and Indiana eventually capitalized.

More: A beautiful story of hope behind the shoes Purdue coach Matt Painter will wear against IU

The Hoosiers went on a 9-0 run that flipped a 29-27 Purdue lead into a seven-point IU lead.

Piloted by point guard Braden Smith, the Boilermakers crept within striking distance by halftime.

Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) pumps up the crowd Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, during the NCAA men’s basketball game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.

Purdue basketball turning point

After getting fouled on a fast break, Caleb Furst made the first of a two-shot free throw trip. Indiana responded by calling timeout to give Furst a lengthy break between attempts. The freeze worked as Furst missed the second attempt, but C.J. Cox grabbed the offensive rebound.

That second-chance opportunity led to Harris beating the shot clock with a fadeaway in traffic just before halftime, closing Purdue’s gap to 41-37 at halftime.

Trey Kaufman-Renn scored seven straight points to start the second half and had a steal during that stretch.

Player ratings: Trey Kaufman-Renn makes most of…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/another-purdue-basketball-thriller-against-040327330.html

Author : IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star

Publish date : 2025-02-01 04:03:00

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