Michigan Coach Dusty May on Purdue's Mackey Arena: 'More Impressive Than I Thought'

Michigan coach Dusty May was thoroughly impressed by the environment at Purdue's Mackey Arena on Friday night, calling it, "more impressive" than he thought.

Purdue Boilermakers forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (4) celebrates during a timeout | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Paint Crew and crowd at Mackey Arena did its job on Friday night when No. 11 Purdue hosted No. 21 Michigan in a key Big Ten showdown. The environment in West Lafayette was so impressive that even Wolverines coach Dusty May gave Boiler Nation a shoutout.

Purdue had very little trouble with Michigan in Friday night's game, posting a 91-64 win and never trailing in the game. The Boilers played extremely well on both ends of the court, but May said the crowd was also a factor in the struggles the Wolverines endured.

"Until you feel it in this environment — I mean, you couldn't communicate, couldn't hear yourself when the crowd got really into it," May said. "And, obviously, that has an affect on athletics, sports, basketball, whatever the case. It was more impressive than I thought, but it's been a long time since I've been here.

"I've been on the wrong side of a few of these in this building and it's not fun."

Mackey Arena is considered among the top venues in college basketball, providing Purdue with a great home-court advantage. It proved beneficial for the Boilers on Friday, pulling off a big win and taking over second place in the Big Ten standings.

The crowd deserves a lot of credit for their efforts on Friday night, but the guys on the floor played pretty well, too. Braden Smith scored 24 points, dished out 10 assists, grabbed seven rebounds and recorded four steals. Fletcher Loyer scored 18 points and Trey Kaufman-Renn added 15.

Freshman CJ Cox had a big game on both ends of the floor, as well, scoring 11 points and forcing three steals. As a team, Purdue forced Michigan into 22 total turnovers, which included 14 steals.

It was a nice bounce-back game for Purdue, which was coming off a home-court loss to Ohio State on Tuesday. That defeat ended the team's 26-game winning streak inside Mackey Arena.

Purdue will conclude its three-game homestand on Friday, Jan. 31 when it hosts in-state rival Indiana. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET from West Lafayette and the game will air on FOX.

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