5 Takeaways From Purdue's 78-72 Loss to No. 15 Gonzaga in Season Opener
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Purdue had its chances on Monday night in Las Vegas, but the dice just didn't roll the right way. 15th-ranked Gonzaga defeated the Boilermakers 78-72 in the Hall of Fame Series opener, and Matt Painter's team starts the year 0-1.
Gonzaga was led by Davis Fogle, who scored 22 points and went 6 of 18 from the field. Joining him in double figures was Xaivian Lee with 18, Izan Almansa with 11 and Braden Huff with 10.
The Boilermakers were led by a dominant performance from Daniel Jacobsen, scoring 22 points and grabbing seven rebounds. C.J. Cox scored 11, Antione West Jr. added 10 off the bench and Omer Mayer and Gicarri Harris each added eight.
Here are a few observations from Purdue's loss to Gonzaga on Monday night.
Daniel Jacobsen was unstoppable
Painter spoke all offseason about the leap that Jacobsen made. We saw that on full display on Monday night. He was dominant in the post, giving Gonzaga's bigs trouble all night. He scored 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting. The 7-foot-4 center was also 4-for-5 from the charity stripe.
Jacobsen made a huge difference on the defensive end as well. He only had one block, but his length bothered Gonzaga in the paint, especially in the first half.
The lone problem with Jacobsen on Monday night was his foul situation. He picked up a few silly fouls, which sidelined him early in the game. After he picked up his fourth, Gonzaga went on a 10-2 run to extend its lead to nine points. It wasn't the defining moment of the game, but it was a significant part of the game.
Good screening and ball movement
Early in the game, you could see the vision of Purdue's offense. Guys were setting quality screens, the ball was moving, and the Boilers were getting some open looks. They didn't always convert on those shot attempts, but they were at least getting high-quality attempts.
Some of that disappeared in the second half. At times, Purdue dribbled too much, and guys settled for tough, contested jumpers. Part of that can be blamed on some poor post play when Jacobsen wasn't in the game, but the Boilers needed to move the ball better throughout the game.
Learning to play defense without fouling
Purdue has the potential to be a really good defensive team, especially when Jacobsen is on the floor. One thing it must learn to do, though, is defend without fouling. That proved to be a major issue against Gonzaga.
When the Bulldogs started attacking the basket, Purdue found itself in foul trouble. Gonzaga attempted 34 free throws in the game, making 26. All but four of those attempts came in the second half.
The Boilermakers were getting gassed in the second half and got caught reaching or leaving their feet too often. Better defense will come with better conditioning and more experience, but it was rough down the stretch.
Struggling from the three-point line
This felt like a game in which Purdue needed to be efficient behind the three-point line to win. The Boilers shot poorly from the perimeter, yet still found themselves in position to defeat a ranked opponent.
Purdue did connect on 47.3% of its shot attempts for the game, but the three-point line was an issue again. The Boilers were just 5 of 21 from long range, which included just one made three-pointer in the second half.
Give the Boilers some credit, though. When the shots weren't falling, they didn't settle. The guards worked the ball into Jacobsen, who consistently scored in the paint. It wasn't until late that Purdue started chucking up threes to try and close the gap.
Great fight at the end
Losses are never fun, and there's going to be plenty to learn from Monday night's loss to Gonzaga. One thing you can't knock, though, is Purdue's effort. The Boilermakers trailed by 11 points with just 5:50 to play, it appeared that Mark Few's team would cruise to a win.
Instead, Harris connected on a four-point play, Jacobsen drew a foul, and Purdue instantly closed the gap to five points. The Boilers got as close as two points at 68-66, but then ran out of steam. It was a commendable effort by a young squad.
Additionally, Purdue only lost the rebounding battle by three (34-31) and was even in the turnover category. This game really came down to a few missed shots and Gonzaga's ability to get to the free-throw line.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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