Feb. 22, 2005
By STEVE HERMAN
AP Sports Writer
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Just one thing spoiled Gene Keady's final game at Indiana's Assembly Hall on Tuesday night.
The Hoosiers won, handily.
Bracey Wright, who missed the past three games with an ankle injury, scored 27 points as Indiana beat Purdue 79-62, another defeat in what has become the worst season in the retiring Keady's 25 years as the Boilermakers coach.
Purdue (7-17, 3-10 Big Ten) stayed close in the first half, even led early in the game, but Indiana (13-11, 8-5) ran off 20 straight points in the first eight minutes of the final period, and Purdue never recovered.
Wright had 11 points during that run, including three straight 3-pointers, and the Hoosiers took their biggest lead at 56-32 before Brandon McKnight hit the Boilermakers' first basket in more than six minutes.
David Teague led Purdue with 26 points and Carl Landry added 20. Freshmen A.J. Ratliff and D.J. White added 15 and 14, respectively, for the Hoosiers.
The loss left Keady with a 23-27 record against Indiana, 6-18 in Assembly Hall, and fans began chanting "Good-bye, Keady" with about 3 minutes to go.
Before the game, Keady received warm, sustained applause and a standing ovation as he walked onto the court and received a parting gift - a portrait of Keady painted on a section of the Assembly Hall floor - from Indiana coach Mike Davis.
The Boilermakers then gave Keady a 5-0 lead. But after Teague's second 3-pointer and a rebound basket by Landy gave Purdue a 16-10 lead, Indiana started pulling away.
A 3-pointer by Ratliff gave the Hoosiers their first lead, and a rebound basket by White put Indiana ahead 23-19.
The Hoosiers led 34-30 lead at halftime, and Purdue was still within four points early in the final period before White started the 20-point run. The next four baskets - interspersed with Purdue fouls and turnovers - were all on 3-pointers.
The Boilermakers came within 15 points with 8 minutes to go, but Wright hit two more 3-pointers and the Hoosiers stayed comfortably ahead the rest of the game.