Five Thoughts From No. 7 Purdue's 91-80 Loss to No. 1 Michigan
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — No. 7 Purdue needed a win over No. 1 Michigan on Tuesday night to remain in the Big Ten race. It didn't play out that way, though, as the Wolverines strengthened their lead with a 91-80 victory over the Boilermakers in Mackey Arena.
Six different Wolverines scored in double figures on Tuesday night. Elliot Cadeau led the way with 17 points, and Yaxel Lendeborg and LJ Cason each had 13. Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. both had double-doubles, combining for 22 points and 22 rebounds.
Trey Kaufman-Renn led the way for Purdue with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Braden Smith had 18 points and Fletcher Loyer scored 11.
Here are five thoughts from Tuesday night's game.
Missing the easy ones
Purdue had a lot of looks at the rim, especially early in the game, but it was unable to take advantage. Too many times, the Boilermakers couldn't convert on those opportunities, and it was extremely costly.
For the game, Purdue was 27-of-69 from the floor. If just a handful of those shots at the basket fall through the net, it could have been a different outcome. Instead, Michigan was able to capitalize on those chances.
Michigan's length has a lot to do with that. Purdue rushed shots at times, just trying to avoid Mara and Johnson's blocking ability. But against the best defense in the country, you have to make those shots at the basket.
The 16-0 run in the first half
Not to oversimplify this game, but the difference was Michigan's 16-0 run during a four-minute stretch in the middle of the first half. When the run started, Purdue owned a 11-10 lead. By the end of it, the Wolverines had broke the game wide open, leading 26-11 inside Mackey Arena.
It's difficult to survive those types of runs against any team in the Big Ten, but it's almost impossible to win a game against a team with the caliber of talent of Michigan. The Wolverines completely took control of the game and never relinquished the lead.
Purdue could have made some more plays throughout the game, but that four-minute stretch in the first half was killer.
Michigan's three-point shooting
Michigan walked into Mackey Arena and shot 57% from three-point range, going 13-of-23 from long range. Trey McKenney, Elliot Cadeau and Yaxel Lendeborg were all killers from behind the arc, combining to shoot 9-of-16 from long range.
Michigan's ball movement undoubtedly gave Purdue some trouble, leading to a handful of wide-open looks. At other times, though, the Wolverines knocked down some tough shots. Give credit to Cadeau, who hit a few triples from deep behind the three-point arc with a defender covering him.
At times this season, Purdue's perimeter defense has been a problem. It was a combination of poor roations and tough shot-making that allowed Michigan to shoot so well from deep.
No quit from Purdue
Even though Purdue trailed by 20 points multiple times in Tuesday night's game, the Boilermakers never stopped fighting. Maybe that's a small trophy for a team with national championship expectations, but this team had every reason to roll over in the second half and didn't.
After going scoreless in the first half, Braden Smith scored 20 points in the final 20 minutes to keep Purdue alive. Kaufman-Renn fought valiantly on the glass and, at times, put the Boilermakers on his back on the offensive end.
Late in the second half, Purdue was able to make this an eight-point game and threaten Michigan. Earlier this season, the Boileramakers lost to Iowa State by 23 points in Mackey Arena. They didn't allow that to happen this time.
Omer Mayer's minutes
When Smith was struggling in the first half, Mayer was a big reason why Purdue only trailed Michigan 48-32 at the break. It could have been much worse. The freshman guard stepped up in a big spot, scoring eight points and hitting some big shots.
Mayer played 11 minutes in the first half and was only on the floor for five in the second half, primarily because Smith was getting into a rhythm. In the minutes when Purdue needed something offensively, Mayer provided it.
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PURDUE-MICHIGAN GAME BLOG: Recap Tuesday night's game between No. 7 Purdue and No. 1 Michigan, a major showdown with Big Ten championship implications. 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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