No. 2 Michigan rolls Purdue 68-53; Boilermakers not quite there yet
By SAM KLEMET
ISL Correspondent
It’s nearly impossible to beat arguably the best team in the country when you don’t play a complete game.
Purdue learned that the hard way Thursday in Ann Arbor, falling 68-53 to second-ranked Michigan.
Purdue (10-9, 3-3) came out playing fearlessly, led by senior captain D.J Byrd. The Crawfordsville native scored all 11 of his points in the first half and was the catalyst to the Boilers clinging to a 33-32 halftime lead.
In the opening 20 minutes, Purdue torched the Crisler Arena nets. Matt Painter’s team connected on 7-of-13 from beyond the three-point arc. In the first half, the Boilermakers made 13 field goals, ten of which came courtesy of an assist. The Boilers also out hustled Michigan and forced the Wolverines into six turnovers.
All-American candidate Trey Burke and his teammates flipped a switch in the halftime locker room.
Burke finished with a game highs of 15 points and eight assists. He was one of four Wolverines in double digits. Tim Hardaway, Jr. added 13 points and Glen Robinson III and Nik Stauskas each chipped in 12.
Coupled with top-ranked Duke’s loss to Miami on Wednesday, the Wolverines (18-1, 5-1) win puts them in position to claim the nation’s number one ranking for the first time in two decades.
Purdue managed to score just 20 points in the second half and went 0-for-9 from three-point range. Byrd was held scoreless after halftime.
With the Boilers struggling from the outside, they needed some post production to keep pace, but freshman center A.J. Hammons, who came into Thursday averaging 10 points a contest, was a non- factor. He was just 1-of-4 from the floor, grabbed two rebounds, and had no blocks.
Rapheal Davis continues to show signs of improvement. Painter put the freshman in the starting lineup and he responded with ten points and eight rebounds. Terone Johnson led the Boilers with 14 points.
The loss ends a three-game winning streak for Purdue. The Boilers return home for their next two contests — Sunday against Iowa and Wednesday against rival and seventh-ranked Indiana.
Purdue needs to take advantage of the games at Mackey Arena because after their showdown with the Hoosiers, the Boilers go on the road for six of their next eight games.
Painter’s streak of six straight NCAA Tournament appearances is in serious jeopardy and time is running out. The Boilers still have five games left against teams currently ranked in the top 15 and likely need to steal at least one of those to bulk up their resume.
In order to do so, they are going to have to learn from Thursday in Ann Arbor. The lesson? Complete teams play complete games. Purdue is still a team trying to put it all together.
