The rivalry between Indiana and Purdue is never short on drama, but last night in Bloomington, it felt like something more. A packed Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall buzzed with emotion and energy well before the opening tip - and not just because No.
12 Purdue was in town. The night kicked off with a celebration of Indiana’s football team, fresh off a national championship run.
Head coach Curt Cignetti took center court, trophy in hand, and delivered a short but charged message to the Hoosier faithful: “Let’s have fun tonight! Go IU!”
The crowd erupted. That energy didn’t fade - it only grew louder when the basketball team took the floor.
Cignetti, seated courtside with his family, had a front-row view of a rivalry game that lived up to its billing. Purdue came in looking to stop the bleeding after back-to-back losses to UCLA and Illinois.
Indiana, on the other hand, was riding high after a convincing road win over Rutgers. It was a clash of momentum, and the atmosphere inside Assembly Hall was electric from the jump.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair early on, with Indiana clinging to a one-point lead with just under six minutes to go before halftime. That’s when the Hoosiers found their rhythm - and it started with a Tucker DeVries three-pointer that sparked a 16-6 run to close out the half. Indiana’s offense clicked into gear, the crowd fed off every bucket, and suddenly the Hoosiers had all the momentum heading into the break.
The second half picked up right where the first left off. Conor Enright opened the scoring with a deep three, and Indiana kept its foot on the gas.
Junior transfer Nick Dorn came up big in the second frame, knocking down back-to-back threes and scoring 10 crucial points in the half. His shooting gave Indiana the cushion it needed, but Purdue wasn’t going away quietly.
The Boilermakers clawed their way back into it, possession by possession. With just under 90 seconds to play, Braden Smith sliced through the defense for a layup that cut the Indiana lead to 65-63. Assembly Hall got a little quieter - but not for long.
With the game hanging in the balance, Enright stepped up again. Off a slick feed from DeVries, he buried a clutch three to push the lead back to five.
Purdue still wouldn’t fold. Freshman guard Jack Benter answered with a layup to make it a one-possession game again, this time with only 10 seconds left.
But Indiana had the closer it needed. Lamar Wilkerson, the team’s leading scorer this season, calmly knocked down two free throws in the final seconds to seal the 72-67 upset.
It was a gritty, emotional win - one that felt like more than just a notch in the win column. It was a statement.
Last night wasn’t just about beating a ranked rival. It was about a program riding the wave of belief and momentum that’s been building across Indiana’s athletic department.
With the football team setting the tone, the basketball squad followed suit - feeding off the energy, the crowd, and the moment. This win was about more than bragging rights.
It was about a culture of winning starting to take root in Bloomington.