Indiana Sports 2023 Rewind: Best Men's Basketball Win

In our "Indiana Sports 2023 Rewind" series, we look back at the Hoosiers' most memorable moments of the calendar year. Earning the title of best men's basketball win, Indiana defeated No. 5 Purdue 79-71 at Mackey Arena on Feb. 25, 2023, thanks to 35 points from Jalen Hood-Schifino, completing the season sweep.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana missed its three chances at marquee wins to start the 2023-24 basketball season, losing to UConn, Auburn and Kansas, so we’ll have to look back to last season to find the Hoosiers' best win of 2023.

And what a win it was. The No. 17 Hoosiers knocked off No. 5 Purdue 79-71 on Feb. 25 to complete the season sweep of their in-state rivals. Though Purdue was ranked No. 1 in the first matchup at Assembly Hall, winning inside the deafening Mackey Arena made the second leg of the sweep that much more impressive.

Trayce Jackson-Davis carried Indiana for much of last season, but it was clear in the first few minutes that it’d take a different Hoosier to take down the Boilermakers. Enter Jalen Hood-Schifino, the freshman whose composure and sharp-shooting eventually silenced a blacked-out Mackey Arena.

Shredding Purdue’s drop-coverage defense with mid-range jumper after mid-range jumper, Hood-Schifino’s 35-point night was like death by a million cuts for the Boilermakers. He went 14-of-24 from the field, including 6-for-7 at the free throw line and 1-for-2 from beyond the arc. Purdue tried several defenders, but none could disrupt Hood-Schifino and Jackson-Davis’ pick-and-roll game.

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Mike Woodson talks to his players during a timeout during the NCAA men s basketball game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. Indiana Hoosiers won 79-71 :: Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK

Shockingly, Jackson-Davis didn’t score until the 11:44 mark of the second half. But he found other ways to contribute, snatching eight rebounds and dishing seven assists. He was unable to slow down eventual National Player of the Year Zach Edey, who finished with 26 points and 16 rebounds. But Purdue’s defense always kept an eye on Jackson-Davis, which freed up Hood-Schifino.

Purdue took a 38-34 lead into halftime, but that quickly changed. Indiana opened the second half on a 17-4 run in just over six minutes, capped off by a Race Thompson dunk, which gave the Hoosiers a nine-point lead.

The unsung heroes of this game were Miller Kopp and Trey Galloway, who each finished with 13 points. Kopp made a trio of 3-pointers, always a good sign for the Hoosiers, who went 8-2 last season when Kopp made at least three shots from beyond the arc.

Galloway played a key role in getting Purdue’s offense off its game plan. He constantly harassed opposing guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, who combined for five of Purdue’s 10 turnovers. The Boilermakers missed plenty of open looks on their way to a 5-for-23 3-point shooting night, but Galloway’s defense kept Smith from running Purdue’s offense the way he’d like.

"He was excellent defensively, always pressuring the ball,” Jackson-Davis said of Galloway.” We call him Crazy Man for a reason. He did all the little things. He was on the floor, and he's going to give it 110 percent when he's out there and that's what we need from him."

Indiana Hoosiers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (1) shoots the ball against Purdue Boilermakers guard Ethan Morton (25) during the first half at Mackey Arena / © Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

A once-raucous crowd went quiet as Indiana led by as much as 14 and always by at least eight across the final 16:32. It represented the Hoosiers’ first win at Mackey since the 2012-13 season, a 97-60 beatdown, and it improved Woodson’s record to 3-1 against the Boilermakers.

Indiana won five games against ranked opponents last year, but this one stood above the rest.