It's been awhile since we've seen it, but Purdue got back to their defensive roots in a 67-53 smothering of Indiana. The Hoosiers had their worst shooting night of the season, connecting on just 41 percent of their twos and 15 percent of their threes. To make matters worse, the Boilermakers managed this great field goal defense without fouling, as Indiana shot just seven free throws against 62 field goal attempts--a season-low 11.3 free throw rate. Interestingly, the only other time Indiana got to the foul line so infrequently over the past five seasons was the last time they played at Purdue. There's something about these Boilers in Mackey Arena that keeps Indiana off the foul line.

All told, the Hoosiers were held to 0.79 points per possession--easily their worst output of the season. It marked the first time in a month that Purdue held an opponent under a point per trip, although it should be noted that the Boilermakers have faced some excellent offenses in that stretch. Despite the paltry production, Indiana was still in this game most of the way, trailing by only five points with a little over 10 minutes remaining. From that point, Purdue would score 15 points on their next 8 possessions, fueled by an 8 for 8 stretch at the foul line. That burst allowed the Boilers to rely on their stout defense down the stretch and cruise to the victory over their rivals.

Purdue ended up scoring right at a point per possession, a total driven by a low turnover rate and lots of free throws. E'Twaun Moore broke out of his slump with 25 points on 15 shots, along with 8 rebounds and just 2 turnovers. JaJuan Johnson struggled offensively, shooting 4 for 10 and turning it over 4 times, but he converted his free throws and finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Johnson's inside defense was a big factor in this game, as Indiana's game plan was centered on driving to the cup. Lewis Jackson continued his excellent conference play with 13 points on 6 shots.

Will Sheehey led Indiana with 14 points on 12 shots, while Jordan Hulls went 1 for 5 from three to finish with 13 points on 15 shots. The poor outside shooting and lack of free throws were just killers for the Indiana offense, which could really use another competent shot taker right now.

Honestly, this game looked how I expected a lot of Purdue victories to look this season--a mediocre offense coupled with stifling defense. That premise has been largely off, as Purdue's supporting cast--and JaJuan Johnson, for that matter--have performed well beyond offensive expectations, but it's worth noting that the Boilermakers have struggled to score against good competition. Purdue has played six games against top 50 defenses this season, and only twice did they manage over a point per possession (Alabama and Iowa). The Purdue offense will have plenty of opportunities to prove itself down the stretch, with five of their remaining seven games coming against top 50 defenses, so we should have a much better grasp on this Purdue offense come Big Ten Tournament time.

Tonight, it's another Super Wednesday on the Big Ten Network, and we'll be liveblogging both games:

At 5:30pm CT, two teams with small but still existent Tournament hopes meet as Northwestern visits Michigan. According to Pomeroy's odds, both teams still have a greater than 10 percent chance at winning 9 conference games, which would figure to at least put them in the bubble conversation. The loser of this game will likely have that hope dashed.

At 7:35pm, Wisconsin visits a streaking Iowa team that has rediscovered its solid defense. That identity will be tested against the nation's most efficient offense. Should be another interesting night of Big Ten hoops.

- Posted by Mike Portscheller