Purdue Responds Like a Champion in Blowout Win Over Minnesota
In this story:
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Matt Painter knows he has a championship-caliber team in his locker room. But after Purdue's home loss to Iowa State on Saturday, one question needed to be answered: how would the Boilermakers respond?
Purdue answered the bell on Wednesday night at Mackey Arena, defeating Minnesota 85-57 to improve to 9-1 on the season and 2-0 in Big Ten play.
After suffering the 23-point loss to the Cyclones just a few days earlier, the Boilermakers were eager to get back on the floor and prove themselves worthy of the championship conversation. That's exactly what they did against Minnesota.
"I always tell them that champions get off the canvas," Painter said. "Everybody gets knocked down. What do you do after you get knocked down? It is really good to be able to play a game again and get back out there."
Braden Smith was the engine behind Purdue's success again on Wednesday, finishing with one of the most ridiculous stat lines you'll see. He ended the night with 15 points, 12 assists, six rebounds, five steals, and two blocks.
Oscar Cluff and Trey Kaufman-Renn both posted double-doubles, as Cluff had 14 points and 11 rebounds and Kaufman-Renn totaled 14 points and 10 boards. Daniel Jacobsen scored 11, and Fletcher Loyer added 10 in the win.
It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for Purdue, especially in the first half. The Boilers controlled the first 16 minutes of the game, but the Gophers put together a 12-4 run in the final four minutes to make the halftime score 35-32.
Smith was getting frustrated, Painter tossed his hands into the air, and Purdue, collectively, looked like a team without much chemistry. That changed quickly, though.
Coming out of the half, the Boilermakers got easy baskets from Kaufman-Renn and Cluff in the post, followed by back-to-back threes from Smith and CJ Cox. A quick 10-0 run in the first 2:50 of the second half put Purdue back in control at 45-32.
Painter's bunch didn't stop there. The Boilers scored 21 unanswered points and had a 29-2 run to blow the game wide open, leading by as many as 32 at one point.
"We had to be better defensively," Painter said about the start of the second half. "We had a lot of opportunities offensively, got the ball inside and got nothing out of it, missed free throws, we had four or five shots we shouldn't have taken. But from a defensive standpoint, we just had to clean some things up."
The defense improved drastically for Purdue in the second half. Minnesota made just 7-of-26 shots from the floor and was 2-of-10 from three-point range. The Gophers had just eight points in the paint.
It may have taken Purdue some time to find its rhythm Wednesday night, but the Boilermakers responded the way Painter had hoped: like champions.
No time to sit and pout
Perspective is important during a college basketball season. Obviously, Purdue would have rather defeated Iowa State and added another signature win to its NCAA Tournament resumé early in the season. That didn't happen, though.
Rather than sit and pout about it, though, Painter knew it was important for his team to respond the right way. After all, the team has all of its goals ahead of it.
"You can say you have a lot of goals, you have two goals: win the Big Ten and win a national championship. Those two goals aren't out of the wicket," Painter said. "When you say, 'Hey, you can't do either one of those,' and your season's over, then be upset. But get it figured out and move to the next game."
There's still plenty of meat left on the bone as it relates to Purdue's season. It has games against No. 21 Auburn, No. 25 UCLA, No. 13 Illinois, No. 23 Nebraska, No. 2 Michigan, and No. 9 Michigan State on the docket. The Boilermakers have several opportunities for signature wins ahead.
As a result of turning the page from Iowa State, Purdue is now 2-0 in Big Ten play, putting itself in a good position when the calendar turns to January and conference play resumes.
Get top Boilermakers stories, expert analysis, and can't-miss moments straight to your inbox for free by signing up for the Purdue Boilermakers on SI newsletter!
Related stories on Purdue basketball
3 THOUGHTS FROM PURDUE'S WIN OVER MINNESOTA: The Boilermakers used a 21-0 run out of halftime to pummel the Gophers and start Big Ten play 2-0. Here are a few thoughts from Wednesday's win. CLICK HERE
SMITH MAKES BIG TEN HISTORY: Purdue senior guard Braden Smith made Big Ten history on Wednesday night, becoming the first player in conference history to reach this crazy stat line. 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.
Follow SchutteDustin