5 Thoughts From No. 12 Purdue's 93-63 Win Over Maryland
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Purdue snapped out of its funk in a big way in College Park on Sunday. The 12th-ranked Boilermakers walked into the Xfinity Center and took care of Maryland without much issue, defeating the Terrapins 93-63. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Matt Painter's squad.
Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith were exceptional in the performance, combining for 48 points. Smith also had six assists and Loyer had one of his best defensive efforts of the year. The Boilermakers also got great effort on the glass from Trey Kaufman-Renn, who finished the game with seven points and 10 rebounds.
What are some of the takeaways from Purdue's much-needed win over Maryland on Sunday?
Loyer gets his groove back
Fletcher Loyer had been in a shooting slump over his last seven games, hitting just 23% from three-point range in his last five games. That changed drastically on Sunday. The senior guard finished the game shooting 9-of-14 from the floor and 7-of-10 from long distance. He ended the afternoon with 29 points, one short of his career high (30).
Maryland was the perfect opponent for Loyer to get back into a groove, as the Terrapins have allowed opponents to shoot 37% from three-point range for the season. Sometimes, shooters just need to see the ball go through the basket.
Loyer saw the ball go through the next several times in College Park. Will that be the boost he needs for the rest of the season?
Rebounding was a big advantage again
When Purdue is playing its best, it's rebounding at a high level. The Boilers dominated the glass against an undersized Maryland team, winning 37-26. That may not sound too surprising, but Painter's team struggled on the glass on Tuesday against Indiana.
That effort was led by Trey Kaufman-Renn, who led the charge with 10 rebounds. He kept several offensive possessions alive, creating several second-chance opportunities throughout the game.
Perhaps the best part of Purdue's rebounding effort? It wasn't just a one-man job. Nearly everyone who played in the game secured at least one board in the contest, with nine guys grabbing multiple rebounds. That's the kind of effort the Boilers need on a nightly basis.
Defensive communication looked better
I'll admit that this could be a little bit of fool's gold. Maryland struggles to shoot the basketball from every level, and that was the case again on Sunday. So, did Purdue's defense really take a big step forward? We'll find out in the coming weeks.
But, from watching Sunday's game, it looked like the Boilermakers were more locked in on that end of the floor. Players were in position and rotated well throughout the game. It didn't seem like Maryland had a lot of open looks during the contest, which has been a problem over the last three games.
Purdue's defense doesn't have to be perfect to win games, but it needed to be better than it has been the last two weeks. It took a step in the right direction this weekend.
Daniel Jacobsen's minutes
Obviously, Jacobsen wasn't the biggest story of the day, but he did give Purdue some really strong minutes off the bench. He ended the contest with eight points and four rebounds, but did an excellent job of keeping rebounds alive and tipping boards out to his teammates when he wasn't in position to grab the basketball.
Jacobsen also did a solid job at the defensive end redirecting shots and standing tall at the rim. He still has some issues with going straight up when opponents drive, but it only resulted in two fouls.
Purdue's length on the interior has to be an advantage and Jacobsen's production off the bench benefited the Boilers in College Park.
Right opponent at the right time
When you're in the middle of a losing streak, sometimes you need that "get right" game. Purdue played a struggling Maryland team at exactly the right time. The Boilermakers were able to knock down shots and looked like a completely different team defensively.
How will this help Purdue's confidence moving forward? It's hard to say. But getting back into the win column should be a major momentum builder at a critical juncture. The Boilers needed it, too, as games against Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan and Michigan State are still on the horizon.
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PURDUE-MARYLAND GAME BLOG: Recap Purdue's win over Maryland in College Park on Sunday. The Boilermakers got big performances from guards Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith. 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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