Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Purdue
Defense Holds Down Boilermakers in 62-49 Victory
1/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 21, 2006
Box Score | Photo Gallery
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - A swarming defense and a balanced scoring attack led the No. 13/11 Indiana men's basketball team to a 62-49 victory over archrival Purdue at Branch McCracken Court at Assembly Hall. The victory moved the Hoosiers to 12-3 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten, good for a share of first place with Wisconsin, while the Boilermakers fell to 7-10 and 1-5 in league play.
IU held Purdue to its lowest scoring output of the season, and the contest marked the first time this season the Hoosiers have held an opponent under 50 points. The last time Indiana held an opponent below 50 points came in a 77-49 victory over Penn State at the Big Ten Tournament on March 13, 2003.
The Hoosiers held the Boilermakers to 34 percent from the floor on 16-of-47 shooting, including a 32.1-percent clip (9-of-28) in the second half. Purdue also turned the ball over 16 times, resulting in 13 Hoosier points.
Senior forward Marco Killingsworth, junior guard Roderick Wilmont and sophomore wing Robert Vaden each finished the game in double figures, marking the 11th time in 15 games at least three Hoosiers have reached the double-digit plateau.
Killingsworth concluded the afternoon with 18 points and 10 rebounds to collect his fifth double-double this season and the 13th of his standout career. Vaden poured in 14 points and eight rebounds, while Wilmont corralled 14 points and five boards in 27 minutes.
Vaden stopped a 7-0 Purdue run, which cut its deficit to 43-39, with a momentum-changing three-pointer, and the Boilermakers never recovered. The Vaden dagger ignited an 11-2 Hoosier rally, essentially closing out the ballgame. Wilmont proceeded to sink a 12-footer to give IU a 48-39 advantage at the 5:28 mark.
Following a pair of Purdue free throws, Vaden and Wilmont got into the act once again. The duo each sank a three-pointer to move IU ahead by 13 at 54-41 with just over four minutes remaining, and the teams split the final 16 points for the 62-49 outcome.
Purdue jumped out of the gates quickly in the second half, evening the score at 30. IU responded with five unanswered points before a Gary Ware jumper and reeled off eight more points, starting with a trey from the top of the key by sophomore guard A.J. Ratliff.
Vaden followed Ratliff by scooping up a loose ball at half-court and dunking it for an eight-point advantage. Indiana gained an 11-point lead at 43-32 when junior guard Roderick Wilmont ended the run by splitting a pair of foul shots and nailing a 15-footer with 9:06 remaining.
After a sluggish first three quarters of the opening half, back-to-back three-pointers from senior point guard Lewis Monroe and Wilmont fueled a nine-point spurt that erased a two-point Boilermaker lead. Killingsworth capped the run with a conventional three-point play off a putback to give IU a 22-15 advantage with 4:16 remaining.
Korey Spates halted the streak, draining a trey from the left baseline to cut the deficit to four at 22-18. The Hoosiers maintained a four-point margin and took a 26-22 advantage into the break.
Killingsworth paced Indiana with 11 points and seven rebounds in the opening 20 minutes, including a perfect 7-of-7 mark from the foul line. Senior guard Marshall Strickland added a pair of three-pointers and four boards.
With the victory, Indiana extended its lead in the AT&T Crimson and Gold Cup to 4-3. The rivalry between IU and Purdue continues with the 2005-06 AT&T Crimson and Gold Cup, also presented by Simon Malls. The overall winner of the contest will be awarded a trophy at the end of the season.
The Hoosiers return to the hardwood for a Tuesday, Jan. 23, affair at No. 23/25 Iowa. The game is slated for 9 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN. The game can also be heard on the IU Radio Network with Don Fischer (play-by-play), former IU guard Todd Leary (color) and Joe Smith (pregame, halftime and postgame) on the call.
