5 Thoughts From No. 6 Purdue's 88-60 Win Over No. 21 Auburn
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INDIANAPOLIS — Purdue made a statement in Indiana's capital city on Saturday evening. In front of a big Boiler crowd, Matt Painter's bunch delivered one of its top performances of the season.
Sixth-ranked Purdue obliterated No. 21 Auburn 88-60 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, improving to 11-1 on the season. It's the third ranked opponent the Boilermakers have defeated this season, along with Alabama and Texas Tech.
Here are a few observations from Saturday's game at the Indy Classic.
CJ Cox has a big day
Cox really set the tone early on Saturday afternoon, knocking down two triples within the first five minutes to get Purdue out to a 12-7 advantage early. He ended the half making 4-of-6 shots from long range for 12 points. He only scored two points in the second half, but that bucket came on an impressive reverse layup early.
Everyone is aware of how Cox can heat up like a microwave in any given game, but it was particularly good to see his shots falling early on a neutral floor. It gave the Boilermakers a nice jolt early against an athletic team.
Role players step up
Yes, Purdue had a lot of production from stars Trey Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith. Kaufman-Renn ended his afternoon with 18 points and six rebounds, and Smith had 11 points, 14 assists, and five boards. But the Boilermakers got production from everyone on the floor.
In addition to Cox's 14-point day, Gicarri Harris knocked down four three-pointers and scored 12 points. Jack Benter hit some big shots, converting on all four of his attempts and ending the game with 11. Oscar Cluff grabbed seven rebounds, and Daniel Jacobsen had three blocks. Everyone played their role.
Kept Auburn off the free throw line
Entering Saturday's game, Auburn was a team that got to the free-throw line frequently. The Tigers averaged more than 28 free throw attempts per contest. That wasn't the case against Purdue.
The Boilermakers did an excellent job of playing defense without fouling, as Auburn shot only 16 freebies for the contest. Four of those came in the final three minutes after the game had been decided, too.
Eliminating second-chance points
Purdue didn't do a great job keeping Auburn off the offensive glass on Saturday, at least by its own standards. The Tigers collected 11 offensive rebounds but didn't do much with the boards. They ended the game with just five second-chance points, a big win for the Boilermakers.
Some of that was Auburn's own doing, not taking advantage of extra opportunities. Purdue also did an excellent job eliminating those extra chances with great rim protection, particularly with Jacobsen's three blocks.
Sweet revenge
A year after getting beaten 87-69 in Birmingham, Purdue got its revenge. I don't know whether this team was aware that former Auburn head coach said that his team "b****-slapped" the Boilermakers one year ago, but they certainly played like they had something to prove.
Purdue was dominant in nearly every facet of the game. Purdue shot 56% from the floor and 46% from three-point range. The Boilers were successful on all 10 free throw attempts. They won the rebounding battle 36-25 and had just 11 turnovers.
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PURDUE-AUBURN GAME BLOG: No. 6 Purdue will play No. 21 Auburn in the Indy Classic on Saturday. Follow along throughout the game for live updates. CLICK HERE
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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