Purdue basketball picked up a huge win in the Big Ten race on Friday night, knocking off in-state rival Indiana 81-76 in a back and forth battle at Mackey Arena. The Hoosiers led for much of the first half before the two teams traded leads throughout the second half, but Matt Painter and the Boilermakers made just a few more plays in the end.

Purdue held a three-point lead in the final minute before Indiana's Trey Galloway scored two consecutive tough buckets to put the Hoosiers back in front by one. Purdue big man Trey Kaufman-Renn put Painter's squad back in front with a short hook shot in the lane, and Galloway never saw the ball again. Indiana point guard Myles Rice had his shot blocked on the next trip with just a few seconds remaining, and Purdue salted away the win at the charity stripe.

As it turns out, fans and pundits weren't the only ones who were surprised that Galloway didn't get the ball with a chance to win the game. Even Painter himself thinks he got lucky that the senior didn't get the final shot, according to Jeff Rabjohns of 247 Sports.

“We were fortunate Trey Galloway didn’t have the ball in his hands at the end,” Painter said, per Rabjohns. “Let’s be frank about it. He was making plays.”

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Galloway was clutch at the end of the game for Indiana, but he also had a good night overall. He finished the game with 15 points and five assists and was one of the key contributors for Mike Woodson's squad throughout the night.

Despite a valiant upset bid, Painter and company did what they have done all year. They found a way to win despite not always playing their best basketball in this one, coming back multiple times in the second half when Indiana continued to figuratively throw punches. After this win, Purdue has created some separation for the second spot in the Big Ten at 9-2 in conference play. Michigan is a full game behind the Boilermakers at 7-2 and Purdue is still chasing Michigan State, who is a perfect 9-0.

Getting a gritty win like this one will be a huge boost for a Purdue team that has a pair of winnable games to start February against Wisconsin and USC before it takes on some of the top teams in the Big Ten. Painter and company will play road games at Michigan (Feb. 11) and Michigan State (Feb. 18) in games that will have a huge impact on who wins the regular season conference title.