WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Eric Hunter Jr. scored 17 points and Sasha Stefanovic added 15 to help No. 8 Purdue avenge an earlier loss to archrival Indiana.
IU won the first meeting with Purdue, 68-65, in Bloomington on Jan. 20. But the Boilermakers redeemed themselves on Saturday, ending their regular season on a high note with a 69-67 win over Indiana in Mackey Arena.
Zach Edey added 10 points and 11 rebounds as the Boilermakers (25-6, 14-6 Big Ten) snapped a season-high two-game losing streak.
Xavier Johnson led the Hoosiers with 18 points and a career-high 12 assists, but his half-court heave to win it with 0.3 seconds left was an air ball. Trayce Jackson-Davis had 15 points and six rebounds while Miller Kopp scored 14 points for Indiana (18-12, 9-11).
The Hoosiers have lost seven of nine and four straight at Mackey Arena dating to February 2016.
It looked like this lopsided series might add a new twist when Indiana took a 56-52 lead with 6:52 to go.
Instead, the Boilermakers scored seven straight — tying it on Trevion Williams' 4-footer and taking the lead for good on Stefanovic's 3-pointer with 5:10 to play.
Indiana got within one and had a couple of chances to force overtime or take the lead.
Kopp blew one by turning the ball over on a bad inbound pass with 11.5 seconds left. And after Williams missed two feet throws with 6.3 seconds remaining, Johnson's early desperation shot allowed Purdue to run out the clock with a successful inbound pass.
The rivals were both coming off losses where they tied a game with a 3-pointer and then lost on a 3-pointer in the final two seconds. IU fell against Rutgers, 66-63 at home, while Purdue lost at Wisconsin, 70-67.
Saturday's win over Indiana caps off a strong regular season for the Boilermakers, who have locked up a top-3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
Purdue entered the game with a 24-6 mark, while the Hoosiers were 18-11.
BIG PICTURE
Indiana: All season, the Hoosiers have been on the cusp of big wins. But aside from home wins over Ohio State and Purdue, the Hoosiers have generally fallen short. Too many close losses, like Saturday's, have left Indiana dancing on the edge of making or missing the NCAA Tournament, and a win or two at next week's conference tournament would certainly help.
Purdue: The Boilermakers missed out on the league's regular-season title, but Purdue still hit some major milestones Saturday. This is the 15th season in school history where the Boilermakers have had 25 wins, nine of which were under coach Matt Painter, and the program is also 101-11 in its last 112 home games. Purdue also regained some momentum as it seeks bigger goals in March and April.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Last week, Purdue tied the school record by appearing in the top 10 for the 17th consecutive week. Tuesday's loss at No. 10 Wisconsin threatened to keep the Boilermakers from breaking that mark this week. Saturday's victory may be enough to send them past the 1986-87 team that spent the entire season ranked among the nation's 10 best teams.
SPECIAL GUESTS
The rivalry always brings out some special guests. Saturday was no surprise. Former Purdue coach Gene Keady drew the loudest cheers when he was shown on the video board. Former Vice President Mike Pence and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb received a mixture of cheers and boos when they were shown. Former Boilermakers player Ryan Cline received a rousing ovation as fans watched him chug a beer.
UP NEXT
Indiana: Faces an undetermined opponent Thursday in the conference tourney at Indianapolis.
Purdue: Must wait for the league tourney bracket release to determine who they'll play Friday.