#12 Purdue Drops Third Straight

With 7:04 remaining in the first half, C.J. Cox converted a mid-range jumper to give Purdue a 23-19 lead. That shot ended up giving the Boilermakers their biggest lead of the game.

Indiana finished the half on a 21-6 run. During that stretch, the Boilers managed just two Smith field goals and two free throws from Gicarri Harris, and the Hoosiers led 40-29 at the half. The game marked the fifth straight in which Purdue has allowed a 10-0 run.

The Indiana lead stretched to 14 points just two minutes into the second half. Wilkerson’s jumper with 18:03 remaining in the game made the score 45-31. Purdue cut it to a six-point game at 47-41 with 15:50 to go after a Smith bucket, but the Hoosiers kept answering every challenge.

With just under ten minutes remaining in the game, Indiana enjoyed a 58-45 lead, holding Purdue to just four points in the preceding six minutes. The Boilermakers gradually closed the gap, and Smith’s driving layup with 1:28 to go made it a two-point game at 65-63.

The Hoosiers planted the dagger in their next possession. Connor Enright buried a long three-pointer, giving Indiana a 68-63 advantage with just 1:12 left. Forced to foul, Purdue was at the mercy of Indiana’s foul shooting to remain hopeful for a win. The Hoosiers hit four of their five attempts from the line in the last minute, thereby icing the game.

Frustration Bubbling Over For Purdue

Immediately following the game, Boilermaker players and coaches were very conspicuous with their recent discouraging play. Guard Fletcher Loyer, who has struggled to find his range over the recent rut, made his emotions known very clearly.

“It sucks, so that’s one. Two, frustrated because we lost,” he said. “Three, we have to get better. There’s another one for you.”

Loyer’s head coach, Matt Painter, echoed that disappointment while implicitly challenging his guys.

“It gets frustrating, to be frank with you. We have too good of a team,” he said. “If they just come in here and play lights out and knock our socks off, but that wasn’t the case. We have to do a better job. We have to find some guys who will do it for 40 minutes.”

Smith drove the previous two points home, especially with Purdue’s recent inability to play a consistent 40-minute game.

“They got to the ball quicker than we did, we weren’t locked in defensively. We’ve got to be better,” he said. “We have to bring the fight early, and we didn’t do that.”

End Of My Purdue Rant: Boilers Must Learn From Past Mistakes

Just last season, Purdue suffered through a four-game losing streak at the end of January and the beginning of February. They were able to regroup and rebound enough to reach the Sweet 16 and were within an eyelash of advancing further.

This year’s squad has a wealth of experience, and the Boilers will need to draw on that veteran leadership to break out of their funk. All is not lost; plenty of basketball awaits. Purdue must realize, however, that all opponents are gunning for them and will put forth their best efforts to knock them off. The Boilermakers must match that intensity from here on out.