Purdue basketball blitzes Michigan in bounce back blowout

[ad_1]

WEST LAFAYETTE — Ohio State lit a fire under Purdue basketball.

Unfortunately for Michigan, the Wolverines were the next team on the schedule.

From the opening possession, the 12th-ranked Boilermakers were locked in.

Player ratings: Braden Smith leads destruction of Wolverines

No. 20 Michigan never stood a chance against a Purdue team that was bouncing back from the end of its 26-game home winning streak.

That streak is now at one after the Boilers pummeled Michigan 91-64 on Friday night at Mackey Arena.

Purdue basketball turning point

Michigan won the opening tip.

Thirteen seconds later, Braden Smith picked off a Tre Donaldson pass and scored a fastbreak layup. Twenty-one seconds after the first steal, a second by C.J. Cox led to a Trey Kaufman-Renn rebound bucket.

More than kicks: Purdue basketball coaches to wear shoes designed by kids with cancer

Purdue (16-5, 8-2) never looked back, at one point leading by 29 in the first half.

The Wolverines finished the first half 1 of 16 from 3 and with 10 turnovers, trailing by 25 at the midway point.

The Boilermakers, meanwhile, finished a blistering 54.8% from the field, including 25 of 38 from inside the arc.

Purdue Boilermakers guard C.J. Cox (0) celebrates after scoring Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, during the NCAA men’s basketball game against the Michigan Wolverines at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.

First half numbers

The Boilermakers built a healthy lead with balance, defense and an incredibly efficient offense in the opening half.

All nine Purdue players who entered in the first half scored, combining on a 19-for-33 shooting performance and an impressive 1.5 points per possession.

Three different players — Smith, Cox and Caleb Furst — had two steals apiece and five had at least one assist. This with leading scorer Kaufman-Renn playing just nine minutes.

3 stars

Braden Smith, Purdue: The maestro of Mackey Arena bounced back from a 3-of-14 shooting night against Ohio State on Tuesday in a big way. Perhaps he could’ve played the final…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/purdue-basketball-blitzes-michigan-bounce-032545496.html

Author : Indianapolis Star

Publish date : 2025-01-25 03:25:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.