Second chances can make all the difference in the world. Failure met with the near-immediate opportunity to rectify it.
That’s what this game was for Indiana, a second chance. After the Hoosiers’ 66-63 loss to Rutgers on Wednesday, Indiana’s NCAA Tournament hopes looked bleak. But a win over No. 8 Purdue could right that wrong and perhaps give Indiana fans dreams of the dance.
They’d done it before, a 68-65 win in Assembly Hall on Jan. 20 punctuated by a 3-pointer from Lafayette native Rob Phinisee in the closing minutes. But this time the Hoosiers would need to do it in Mackey Arena, where they haven’t won since 2012, before members of its current roster had reached high school.