5 Stats That Explain How Indiana Pulled Off Win Over Purdue

Indiana (14-7, 5-5 Big Ten) was in desperate need of a marquee win. The Hoosiers were yet to claim a Quad 1 victory on the season – until Tuesday night.

Welcoming a spiraling Purdue team to town, Indiana smelled blood in the water and attacked, jumping out to a 40-29 lead by the break, and ultimately carrying that lead until the final buzzer, winning by a final score of 72-67. Here are five key stats that explain how Indiana pulled off the victory over Purdue:

5 stats that determined Indiana vs. Purdue

Jan 27, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Nick Dorn (7) shoots the ball against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Indiana’s made first-half three-pointers: eight

By halftime, Indiana had built a 40-29 lead over Purdue behind a barrage of three-point bombs – including seven combined from the Hoosiers’ star shooting trio of Lamar Wilkerson, Nick Dorn and Tucker DeVries.

Nick Dorn goes back-to-back from three 🤩 @IndianaMBB

📺: Peacock pic.twitter.com/KgbfFGdigm
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 28, 2026

Hot shooting was a non-negotiable for Darian DeVries’ club to pull off the upset. And the Hoosiers got just that, even from Conor Enright, who knocked down a pair himself.

Purdue’s missed free throws: seven

Winning on the road in the Big Ten is no easy feat. Doing that against an in-state rival is even harder – especially when shooting 8-for-15 (53.3 percent) from the charity stripe.

They’re called free throws for a reason. They’re free points, and missing out on seven of them hurt the Boilermakers, who fell by just five, in a very bad way.

Reed Bailey’s plus/minus: plus-16

Forward Sam Alexis has carried the burden for the Hoosiers on the interior in recent outings – and for the vast majority of the season – but when Reed Bailey got his opportunity vs. Purdue, he grabbed it with both hands and didn’t let go.

He finished with a solid stat line, but it wasn’t otherworldly (nine points, two rebounds and one assist). But Bailey’s post defense was superb, he was excellent in help and on switches, and he was the key reason Purdue, which boasts a dangerous paint attack, scored just 24 points in the paint. As a result, in his 26 minutes, Bailey was a game-high plus-16.

Braden Smith’s points + assists: 19

A 14-point, five-assist showing is a stellar night for most college hoopers, but Braden Smith, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, is not most college hoopers. The Hoosiers did a spectacular job on Smith, making his life difficult, keeping him out of the paint and staying down on his seemingly infinite pump fakes once he got inside the arc.

It wasn’t just the one-on-one defense, but Indiana’s ability to keep Purdue’s potent pick-and-roll attack at bay that proved to be the difference-maker. Smith had zero assists in the first half, and, in turn, the Boilermakers scored a measly 29 points in that frame.

Second-chance points margin in Purdue’s favor: one

Jan 27, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward Tucker DeVries (12) celebrates after a play against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Purdue is big and physical. After snagging Oscar Cluff in the transfer portal, the Boilermakers turned a 2024-25 weakness – rebounding – into a strength. And that was a worry for the Hoosiers, who are undersized and have been notably poor on the glass throughout the season.

Yet on Tuesday, the rebounding margin was just plus-five in Purdue’s favor, and the visitors managed to register just one extra point in terms of second-chance buckets – which was a huge win for Indiana.