First-Half Defense Sets the Tone for Purdue Basketball in Victory at Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS — The Purdue basketball team is off to its best start in program history, improving to 18-1 and 7-1 in Big Ten play with a dominant 61-39 win over Minnesota on the road Thursday night at Williams Arena.
The Boilermakers allowed just 12 points to the Golden Gophers in the first half of play, which is tied for the fewest in school history and the fewest in any half by a Big Ten opponent ever.
A 13-0 run gave Purdue a 22-point lead with under a minute before halftime, and Minnesota didn't reach double figures in the contest until there were 40 seconds left on the clock.
The Boilermakers led 31-12 at the break, and a fast start in the second half all but sealed the game. The team went ahead by as many as 29 points during the victory.
Zach Edey's presence inside
Purdue basketball's towering 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey set the tone from the opening tip against Minnesota. The Golden Gophers, who lack the traditional size that's become all too common throughout the Big Ten, used their young and athletic frontcourt to slash into the lane in an attempt to get shots at the rim.
On Minnesota's very first possession, 6-foot-7 freshman forward Joshua Ola-Joseph had an inside jump shot blocked by Edey, which led to one of only two offensive rebounds in the period for the Golden Gophers.
They still came away empty after a missed shot attempt late in the shot clock, and for the rest of the night, Edey was the reason opposing players thought twice about looking to penetrate underneath the basket.
Minnesota shot just 5-of-24 before halftime, and Edey registered two of his four blocks in the game during the first six minutes of play. The Golden Gophers only managed four points in the paint in the first half compared to 28 by the Boilermakers.
Of the three shots that found the bottom of the net on shots near the rim, one was the result of a bad pass turnover by Purdue senior guard David Jenkins Jr. On the other end of the court, 6-foot-9 freshman forward Pharell Payne dunked the ball despite a foul.
Minnesota's frontcourt duo of Ola-Joseph and Payne combined for four points in the first half on 2-of-6 shooting. They were outmatched by Edey on both ends of the floor, as he went into the locker room with a team-high 12 points to go along with three rebounds and two assists.
Minnesota mistakes
The Golden Gophers didn't help their own cause on their home court, turning the ball over 10 times in the first half. Three of those giveaways were steals by the Boilermakers' defense, which resulted in three baskets on the other end of the floor.
Minnesota, alongside four bad pass turnovers, was called for four offensive fouls that gave Purdue possession of the basketball. The Gophers had seven different players turn the ball over at least one time, with freshman forward Jaden Henley recording three turnovers in the span of four minutes during the opening period.
Ethan Morton, Fletcher Loyer and Mason Gillis all registered a steal that ended in shots inside the paint for their teammates. The Boilermakers scored eight points off turnovers in the first half.
With 2:38 left to play before the break, Purdue gave up its second offensive rebound of the game to Minnesota but rallied to force a shot clock violation. After the Minnesota turnover, sophomore forward Caleb Furst made a hook shot to extend the team's lead to 20 points.
The bucket came near the end of a 13-0 run that gave the Boilermakers their largest lead of the first half. Fifth-year senior guard Taurus Samuels capped the opening period for the Golden Gophers with a three-point play in the final minute, bringing their scoring total to 12 before the second half.
Gophers go cold from the floor
Entering Thursday night's contest, Minnesota was shooting 42.2 percent from the field but struggled to find any sort of rhythm at Williams Arena against Purdue. The Golden Gophers started the first half 2-of-13 on their shot attempts, which included seven straight misses before Payne's dunk with 9:13 before halftime.
Minnesota saw back-to-back shots fall through the basket just once in the first half, which was followed by another seven consecutive attempts without a field goal. As the Boilermakers dominated the interior, the Golden Gophers made just one of their final nine shots in the final seven minutes of the opening period.
Heading into the locker room, Minnesota was 2-of-14 on jumpers, 1-of-4 on layups, 1-of-4 on 3-pointers and 1-of-2 on dunks. Purdue shot 15-of-29 from the field in the first half, good for 51.7 percent.
Related stories on Purdue basketball
- Purdue Cruises to 61-39 Win at Minnesota: Purdue led by as many as 29 points on the road against Minnesota, improving to 18-1 for the first time in program history after Thursday night's win. Freshman guard Braden Smith led the way with 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. CLICK HERE
- Purdue, Minnesota Photo Gallery: Purdue basketball went on the road and picked up a 61-39 victory over Minnesota on Thursday night at Williams Arena. The No. 3-ranked Boilermakers are now 18-1 and 7-1 in Big Ten play. CLICK HERE
- Purdue, Minnesota Live Blog: No. 3 Purdue basketball was on the road for a matchup with Minnesota on Thursday night at Williams Arena. Relive some of the action from our live blog. CLICK HERE
- Fletcher Loyer Named Big Ten Co-Player, Freshman of the Week: Purdue guard Fletcher Loyer scored a career-high 27 points and set a program freshman record with six 3-pointers in a 73-55 victory against Nebraska last Friday. CLICK HERE
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.