Purdue’s Swanigan steps up vs. NJIT
By KEITH CARRELL
@BoilerColts
ISL Correspondent
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue defeated the New Jersey Institute of Technology 79-68 in a lackluster performance Saturday afternoon.
Damon Lynn sank eight threes en route to 33 points to keep the Highlanders within striking distance of the Boilermakers. Caleb Swanigan paced Purdue with his fifth double-double (22 points and 13 rebounds) of the season and fourth in a row, the first Boilermaker to have a streak of four since Glenn Robinson.
Swanigan’s maturity has visually blossomed in how he handles press conferences this year and shares the accolades he’s earned with his peers. “I’m just playing off of my teammates and just playing hard. I don’t take difficult shots, because we can get a one-on-one almost every (possession).”
🎥Highlights from #Purdue‘s 79-68 win over NJIT.
🚂🆙 #BoilerUphttps://t.co/vsvZjeNAVX— Purdue Basketball (@BoilerBall) November 26, 2016
Purdue, in its first game back from winning the Cancun Challenge, was able to win this game that featured stagnant play with flashes of energy primarily by simply being more talented than their opponent. That being said, there were a few bright spots for the Boilers, Swanigan had a very efficient game on the offensive end of the floor where he was a perfect 6-6 from the field and 10-10 from the line and also contributed five offensive rebounds and three assists. Vincent Edwards also had a resurgent game after struggling early in the season to find his role with the current roster by letting his active hands on defense transfer into twelve points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Carsen Edwards has also emerged as a key cog for Purdue as they move forward in the season and undoubtedly will begin to face stiffer competition. Edwards has become the instant offensive punch that Purdue has lacked and brings a spark when Purdue is stagnating or a dagger answer on offense after the opponent scores. Edwards had 19 points, including three timely triples that stymied any potential momentum that NJIT could muster.
Purdue struggled with this game early as they often do on academic breaks when the students aren’t in attendance to help bring energy into Mackey Arena. The first half saw Purdue often out of sync be it miscommunication and unforced turnovers or being a step behind on defense which welcomed the Highlander shooters into comfortable, unchallenged looks. NJIT took advantage by sinking seven threes, including three makes each by Lynn and Chris Jenkins. Purdue got a little burst of momentum around the eight minute mark of the opening half when Ryan Cline in his first action at home this season sank a three, Damon Lynn missed a jump shot on the other end, which C. Edwards corralled and turned into a pull up two from the free throw line to extend the lead to 24-16. NJIT narrowed the gap to three at the half when Purdue was held without a field goal over the final three minutes and Lynn sank a trey with eight seconds remaining to finish off a 10-1 run.
Head coach Matt Painter shared after the game that he “thought Jenkins kept them in it in the first half. He had three threes coming off the bench and that really gave them a spark.” Painter continued, “We had a chance to go into halftime with a good lead and they made a good run, but give them credit they’re a good team.”
The start of the second half flipped the script when Purdue stretched the lead to 10 over the first four minutes where NJIT went scoreless. Rob Ukawuba ended the drought with a posterizing dunk over Swanigan, but the Boilers responded quickly with a C. Edwards three while the Highlanders were still celebrating the dunk.
Although the teams combined for only ten personal fouls and four free throw attempts in the first half, the refs blew the whistle 22 times in the second half. Purdue capitalized and was able to keep an arm’s length lead over NJIT by converting 16 of their 17 free throw attempts in the closing half.
Quick Hits:
Ukawuba compounded issues in the middle of the second half when he fouled Swanigan on a rebound and received a technical for an ensuing altercation, Swanigan converted those into a four point play from the charity stripe… Purdue continues to excel when they share the ball, they assisted on 21 of their 26 made field goals… Turnovers were an issue for both teams, Purdue committed 16 and NJIT committed 17… Ryan Cline saw his first action of the season in Cancun after serving his six game suspension… The basketball game tipped just minutes before the Old Oaken Bucket game between Purdue and IU on the football field ended – marking the final chapter of the Darrell Hazell Era; the Hoosiers defeated Purdue for the fourth time in a row (the first time Indiana has accomplished that long of a streak since World War II).
