Purdue's Defense, Braden Smith's Effort Leads to Boilers' Big Win Over Michigan

WEST LAFAYATTE, Ind. — Rarely is a basketball game defined by the first two possessions, but that was the case inside Mackey Arena on Friday night. The defensive pressure established by No. 11 Purdue set the tone early in a 91-64 route of No. 21 Michigan in an important Big Ten clash.

After Michigan won the opening tip, Braden Smith read a pass perfectly, raced down to the other end of the court and got the Boilermakers on the scoreboard first. On the next possession, CJ Cox forced a jump ball, which gave Purdue the basketball.

Fletcher Loyer missed the 3-point attempt, but Trey Kaufman-Renn collected the offensive rebounds and gave the Boilers a 4-0 lead.

The game was just beginning, but the tone had been set. And unlike in Tuesday's home loss to Ohio State, Purdue played with that same fire and intensity for a full 40 minutes.

"It's what we need to start doing more. It's how we've gotten on this little run that we have going, and what we got away from in the second half against Ohio State," Loyer said. "Just our intensity, turning people over and getting in transition."

Purdue's defensive pressure never really let up on Friday night. Michigan was gasping for air, but the Boilermakers continue to suffocate the Wolverines on that end of the court.

By the 11:17 mark in the first half, the Boilers had a 20-point lead, taking a 29-9 advantage off of a Cam Heide alley-oop slam from Smith. By that point, it seemed like the game was over.

"They set the rules of engagement from the very first possession. They play with a lot of physicality," Michigan coach Dusty May said. "Obviously, their 'Big 3' were phenomenal, but I thought Caleb Furst's ability to get extra possessions, loose basketballs and rebounds in the paint — and CJ Cox's on-ball defense was something that set the tone, as well."

Purdue was led by their "Big 3" of Smith, Loyer and Kaufman-Renn once again. Smith ended the contest with another double-double, scoring 24 points and dishing out 10 assists. He was also responsible for seven rebounds and four steals.

Loyer added 18 and Kaufman-Renn scored 15. Cox ended the game with 11 points and three steals for the Boilermakers.

All season long, Michigan has made life miserable for opponents on the defensive end. The seven-footer tandem of Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin have been a lethal combination through their first 18 games. But at halftime at Mackey Arena, the duo combined for just six points.

Purdue coach Matt Painter said getting Michigan out of a rhythm early was a huge factor.

"Just to have pressure and not let things be fluid," Painter said. "They're very unique and the way Danny Wolf will play to go along with the three guards that can work you downhill. They're great at getting downhill and driving the basketball. You see in the second half, they had a five- or six-minute stretch where they just kept attacking the rim. That's what they want to do for 40 minutes.

"So, I think that got them on their heels, where they weren't the aggressor. When they're the aggressor and they're attacking, things really open up for everybody else. It was just one of those games for us where we got off to a really good start, they never really quite got into their rhythm."

Michigan got into a little bit of a rhythm early in the second half, cutting into Purdue's lead ever-so-slightly. The Wolverines had trimmed a 51-26 halftime advantage down to 55-34, getting some good looks around the basket.

But Purdue's pressure ramped back up, the Boilers knocked down some shots and were able to push the lead back up to 26 points in no time. The Wolverines never threatened again.

At the end of the night, Purdue forced Michigan into 22 turnovers, which included 14 steals. The Boilermakers outscored the Wolverines 29-8 in points off turnovers and won the points in the paint battle 40-28.

Shots also started falling from behind the 3-point line again. It wasn't perfect, but Purdue made nine-of-24 shots from long range and connected on 54.8% of its field goal attempts.

Without question, seeing the ball go through the net made a difference.

But the biggest difference for Purdue on Friday night was that it played a physical and aggressive brand of basketball on the defensive end for a complete game. Mostly, they were prepared for anything and everything Michigan might throw at them.

"I think we do a great job locking into our scouting report and understanding what they're trying to do," Smith said. "Our instincts took over and we were able to get steals and push into transition for points."

Purdue is now 8-2 in Big Ten play and sits alone in second place in the conference standings. The Boilermakers are a half-game behind Michigan State (7-0).

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