3 Thoughts From No. 6 Purdue's 79-59 Win Over Marquette
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Purdue and Marquette have traditionally had some tough battles on the basketball court over the years, but that wasn't the case on Saturday. The sixth-ranked Boilermakers handled the Golden Eagles without much trouble, cruising to a 79-59 win at Mackey Arena.
Oscar Cluff was the star of the afternoon, scoring 22 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the win. Trey Kaufman-Renn finished the afternoon with 10 points and nine rebounds, and Braden Smith dished out 10 assists to go along with seven points. Fletcher Loyer also had a solid day, scoring 15 points.
Here are three thoughts from Purdue's convincing win over Marquette.
Oscar Cluff asserts his dominance
Cluff was, without question, the most dominant player on the floor inside Mackey Arena on Saturday. The Boilermakers went to the 6-foot-11 center early and often, and Marquette simply had no answer.
It was apparent early in the game that Cluff could have a big afternoon. Shaka Smart refused to double the big man in the post early, and the senior center feasted in a one-on-one matchup against Ben Gold. By the time Marquette started sending two players to defend Cluff, he had already gotten into a rhythm.
Cluff ended the game with an incredible stat line, scoring 22 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and blocking two shots. He was 9-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
Purdue didn't shoot the three well
This might be viewed as a negative, but it's also impressive how dominant Purdue was despite a poor-shooting afternoon from long range. The Boilermakers ended the game 7-of-23 from behind the arc, and spent most of the day below 30%.
Yes, being able to knock down shots from the perimeter is a key component of Purdue's offense. But the Boilermakers proved on Saturday that they are capable of beating teams with its post play on afternoons when the long ball isn't falling.
Having the ability to win games in a variety of ways on the offensive end is a major asset, especially in the Big Ten.
The defense was suffocating
Purdue's defensive rotations were crisp throughout the afternoon, not allowing Marquette to get many open looks throughout the game. Yes, the Golden Eagles had some opportunities and couldn't take advantage, but this was a much better defensive effort than we've seen in other games.
Marquette made just 33% of their shot attempts and was 8-of-31 from long range. Purdue's defense also caused some problems for the Golden Eagles early, as they had four turnovers within the first three minutes of the game.
The Boilers still have plenty of room for improvement on the defensive end, but Saturday was one of the better efforts we've seen this season.
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PURDUE-MARQUETTE GAME BLOG: Follow along with live updates, news, and analysis as No. 6 Purdue hosts Marquette at Mackey Arena. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. ET on Saturday. 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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