WEST LAFAYETTE – IU bowed quietly out of the return leg of its annual in-state rivalry Saturday, losing 79-59 at Purdue. Here are three reasons why:

Offense stalls

IU started brightly, hitting four of its first five shots and assisting all four. Ball movement was good. Body movement was better. The Hoosiers even dictated the game’s early pace at times. And then their touch deserted them.

Indiana finished the half hitting seven of its last 22 field goal attempts. There were minutes-long stretches without a made shot from the field. IU attempted just five 3-pointers in the first half, which was understandable considering they missed them all.

There were some other issues, namely a few careless turnovers. But even those felt a product of rushed and hesitant offense, as Purdue’s 12-point halftime lead was built first by silencing that promising offensive start.

Sorry shooting

It’s not overly scientific, but Saturday night offered a raw look at what the Hoosiers miss when they cannot power up their post game.

Purdue is distinctly suited to manage that matchup, of course, Zach Edey, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Caleb Furst giving the Boilermakers plenty of size to throw any team’s way.

But for all the discussion of Indiana’s struggles behind the 3-point line, Saturday underscored how important the Hoosiers’ frontcourt remains. Malik Reneau and Kel’el Ware each struggled for rhythm at that end of the floor, because of Edey and foul trouble and turnovers and a half-dozen other reasons. The points — and, as importantly, the efficiency — IU can typically count on to anchor itself offensively taken away, nothing else filled the void.

Until Purdue got loose behind the arc, Indiana could actually be commended for at least some of its work defensively. But with nothing to show for it at the other end, the Hoosiers faded fast, and exited quietly.

Seven games to go

Saturday night always had the capacity to go this way. Purdue is, pardon the pun, a freight train, and Indiana happened to be the team in the way. Mackey Arena got all day to tune up and it didn’t disappoint, and the result was roughly as expected.

Now, IU gets eight days off, its second bye of the season. The Hoosiers are still within touching distance of a .500 finish in Big Ten play. The most difficult games remaining are at home. The league’s youngest team can do plenty of growing up between now and whatever the end of this season looks like.

The conversation centers as much as anything now on what this team wants out of the rest of the season. Motivations can be individual or collective. The NCAA tournament is likely out of reach, but if the core of this group will eventually pull the program back up, there’s no reason for that not to start now.

Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 3 reasons Indiana basketball got bludgeoned by Purdue, Zach Edey