Purdue basketball delivered a resounding statement inside Mackey Arena on Friday night, and head coach Matt Painter made sure to frame it in the proper context. The No. 7 Boilermakers rebounded in emphatic fashion in the Indiana rivalry, rolling to a dominant 93-64 victory just days after their Big Ten championship hopes took a hit.

Purdue led from start to finish in West Lafayette, establishing a strong early lead with a 26-14 surge and maintaining a commanding 46-29 advantage at halftime. The Boilermakers controlled the glass with a 30-15 rebounding edge and never allowed the Hoosiers to find a rhythm on either end of the floor. The win improved Purdue's record to 22-5 overall and 12-4 in conference play, reinforcing its status as a national contender as March approaches.

The response was significant. A home loss to No. 1 Michigan earlier in the week effectively ended Purdue’s pursuit of a Big Ten regular season crown. Painter, who has built perennial contenders in West Lafayette, understands the importance of momentum in February. Three days after the setback vs. the Wolverines, his team delivered its largest margin of victory over Indiana since 1969 and its highest point total in the rivalry game since 1998.

WISH-TV News shared a video on its X (formerly known as Twitter) late Friday night of Painter addressing the emotional swing following the win.

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“Not being able to win a Big Ten championship was tough… I thought this was a great bounce back for our guys.”

Painter, the five-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, acknowledged the disappointment while praising his team’s maturity and focus. Seniors Trey Kaufman-Renn, Braden Smith, and Fletcher Loyer, along with freshman Omer Mayer, powered the rout in what could become a defining stretch run.

With March approaching, Purdue basketball appears locked in. The rivalry win does not erase the sting of falling short in the conference race, but it restores belief—and positions the Boilermakers to make noise when the postseason begins.