Indiana State University Athletics

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Indiana State men's basketball battled in its first road Big Ten game since 2017-18 but could not overcome Purdue's interior offense in an 80-68 loss to the Boilermakers Saturday night inside Mackey Arena.
 
Cooper Neese nearly set a new career high with 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including a 4-for-8 performance behind the arc. Senior Tyreke Key added 18 points and Jake LaRavia rounded out the Sycamores in double figures with 10 points.
 
Purdue's Travion Williams led all scorers with 30 points and 11 rebounds while Eric Hunter Jr. added 13 points in the win.
 
Indiana State came out of the gate hot, jumping out to a 10-1 lead over the Boilermakers thanks in part to a Neese triple to begin the game followed by a Williams shot in the post. Key added to the Sycamore lead with back-to-back buckets, first a 3-pointer and then a jumper forcing Purdue to a timeout.
 
Purdue was able to assert itself in the paint early to work their way back into the game. The duo of Travion Williams, a 6-foot-10 forward and Zach Edey, a 7-foot-4 center, were able to go a combined 11-of-19 in the first half for 23 points while drawing two early fouls on Tre Williams, forcing the ISU center out of the game. PU's Williams nearly put together a double-double in the first half with an 18 point and eight-rebound effort. 
 
The Sycamores closed Purdue's second-half lead to five points with just minutes to go, but free throws down the stretch proved to be the difference late.
 
The Boilermakers shot 55.6 percent from the field while ISU was shot 44.1 percent. Purdue won the battle of the boards 40-24.
 
Indiana State is scheduled to battle with Saint Louis Tuesday night in a road contest slated to tipoff at 8 p.m. ET from Chaifetz Arena. The game will air on Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Indiana, Fox Sports Kansas City and on ESPN Plus.
 
For the latest information on Sycamore Basketball, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.