5 Thoughts on Purdue's 86-56 Win Over Texas Tech in Baha Mar Championship
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Purdue looked like the No. 1 team in the country on Friday night. The Boilermakers throttled No. 15 Texas Tech in the championship game of the Baha Mar Championship 86-56. It's the fifth straight multi-team event Matt Painter's team has won.
It was one of the most impressive wins we've seen from Purdue, and was certainly the best performance the Boilers have had this season.
Oscar Cluff led the way with 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 12 points. Daniel Jacobsen had 11 points and eight boards, and Omer Mayer also dropped in 11 points. Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and CJ Cox all scored 10 points in the win.
Here are five thoughts from Purdue's dominant victory to win the Baha Mar Championship.
Relentless
Purdue looked like a team on a mission on Friday night. After a sloppy performance against Memphis on Thursday, the Boilermakers were out for blood in the championship game of the Baha Mar Championship.
From the opening jump, CJ Cox knocked down some quick shots, and Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff crashed the boards hard. Even though the two teams traded blows through the first 13 minutes, it was easy to see that the Boilermakers were much more focused than they were on Thursday.
Cluff fought off multiple players for rebounds at times. Kaufman-Renn ran from underneath the basket to the far sideline to save a loose ball. Jack Benter made effort plays. Omer Mayer knocked down shots off the bench.
It was a complete team effort from start to finish, and one of the most dominating performances Purdue has had since running Michigan out of Mackey Arena last season.
Shut down Toppin
A single performance isn't going to eliminate Toppin from the National Player of the Year conversation, but Purdue certainly made him look pedestrian in The Bahamas.
Purdue's trio of Cluff, Kaufman-Renn, and Daniel Jacobsen really presented problems to Toppin on the interior. He still scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds, but he was virtually ineffective for the majority of the game.
The Boilers were also attacking Toppin on the offensive end, too. Kaufman-Renn scored 12, Cluff had 14 and Jacobsen got four in the post for the Boilermakers.
Cox was the MVP
Technically, this includes two games, but Cox was Purdue's MVP of the Baha Mar Championship. He scored 18 points for the Boilers in the win over Memphis on Thursday, often keeping his team afloat when nobody else was making shots.
Cox ended Friday night's game with 10 points, shooting 4-of-8 from the floor and 2-of-3 from three-point range. He got off to a hot start Friday night, scoring seven quick points to set the tone for the Boilers.
In addition to his scoring ability, Cox defended well in both games and came up with some big rebounds. If not for his efforts Thursday, the Boilers may not have found themselves in the championship game Friday night.
Depth pays off
Why is depth important? You saw on Friday. The Boilers got tremendous production from their starters in the championship game — all five scoring in double figures — but they also got plenty of help from the bench.
Texas Tech, on the other hand, has been limited to playing only six guys regularly throughout the season. That doesn't bode well for the second game of a back-to-back.
Purdue didn't need a ton of points from its bench on Friday night, but having reliable players who can come in and provide quality minutes is a tremendous asset to have, especially on short turnarounds.
Best defensive effort this season
Purdue has struggled defensively at times this season, but that wasn't the case against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders shot 33% from the floor and made just 8-of-34 attempts from three-point range. The Boilers also dominated the glass, winning that battle 43-25.
What stood out most, though, was Purdue's ability to body Toppin in the post with three different players. The star forward could never get into a rhythm and had to fight for his buckets all night.
Texas Tech went through a 12:36 stretch where it scored just three points. For a team with the Red Raiders' firepower, that's an unbelievable defensive accomplishment.
Purdue also had outstanding defensive effort around the perimeter. A few times, Texas Tech got open looks that it simply missed. But, for the most part, the Boilermaker guards defended the three-point line well and didn't allow Texas Tech's guards to get downhill.
Related stories on Purdue basketball
LIVE BLOG FOR PURDUE-TEXAS TECH: No. 1 Purdue plays No. 15 Texas Tech in the finals of the Baha Mar Championship. Follow along for live updates and analysis throughout the game. CLICK HERE
COLVIN HITS BUZZER BEATER: Myles Colvin hit a game-winning three-pointer to lift Wake Forest over Memphis in the Bahamas. After the game, Purdue fans chanted for hitting the big shot. 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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