Purdue coach Matt Painter after loss to the Badgers: ‘I think they have a special team’

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Purdue head coach Matt Painter had high praise for the Wisconsin Badgers after their statement 94-84 victory over his Boilermakers on Saturday afternoon.

Wisconsin entered the matchup as prohibitive underdogs. Purdue was the No. 7 team in the latest AP Poll and a No. 2 seed in the projected NCAA Tournament bracket. Wisconsin, while one of the better teams in the conference, was just 1-6 visiting Mackey Arena since 2015. That one victory came thanks to heroics from star guard Johnny Davis. Entering Saturday’s premier contest, Wisconsin likely needed similar outings from wing John Tonje and his supporting cast.

It got exactly that.

Tonje delivered 32 points on 10-of-15 shooting and four-of-nine from beyond the arc. His eight-point outburst to start the second half gave Wisconsin an advantage they would not relinquish. The Badgers went on to score 58 second-half points, including a closing stretch of 12 scores on their final 12 possessions. Tonje, John Blackwell, Max Klesmit and the rest of the team left little doubt in a statement performance.

Painter, when meeting with the media postgame, circled where the game turned, specifically with his team defending what he called ‘the best free throw shooting team and one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country.’

“I think they have a special team,” Painter emphasized. “I told our guys, they gave you a lesson in maturity. I thought they were mentally and physically tougher. That’s something I write on the board every game. You have to be mentally and physically tougher than your opponent, and they were better than us in those two areas.”

The Boilermakers head coach continued with his praise for Greg Gard’s team, specifically its mental makeup after losing guard Kamari McGee to a controversial ejection.

“I talked afterwards,” Painter continued. “I just said, ‘You have to quit talking to officials, you have to quit showing body language, you have to quit being emotional.’ There ain’t nothing wrong with being passionate, but…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/purdue-coach-matt-painter-loss-182800149.html

Author : Badgers Wire

Publish date : 2025-02-16 18:28:00

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