No. 7 Purdue Catches Fire From 3-Point Line, Opens Season With 96-67 Win Over Bellarmine
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Trevion Williams didn’t attempt a shot for the No. 7-ranked Purdue basketball program until there was 7:21 remaining in the second half of the team’s matchup with Bellarmine on Tuesday night.
He was content making pinpoint passes from the post as the team was fueled by 23 points from Sasha Stefanovic and dominant perimeter shooting in a 96-67 season-opening victory at Mackey Arena.
The Boilermakers connected on 44% of their 3-point attempts as the Knights keyed in on the post. Five different players made a basket from beyond the arc, and Williams finished the game with three assists and four points.
“Trevion did such a great job in the post, recognizing doubles, being very unselfish and looking for those shooters outside,” Stefanovic said after the game. “I thought we did a very good job of executing our game plan, and we made some good passes that led to good shots.”
After falling behind quickly, Purdue took its first lead of the game with 17:15 in the first half. Junior guard Isaiah Thompson buried back-to-back 3-pointers, and Bellarmine led for less than two minutes by the end of the contest.
However, the Knights managed to claw their way to within one point with under 10 minutes left in the opening half. The Boilermakers punched back with a 17-3 run to take control of the game for good. Sophomore guard Jaden Ivey kicked off the scoring burst with a triple, followed by another pair of 3-pointers from Thompson.
Purdue would take a 50-37 halftime lead with Thompson scoring what was a team-high 12 points in the period. He made four of his six shots from deep to start the game.
“We get our reps before practice, after practice,” Thompson said. “We knew their gameplan, what they were going to try to do, so just being ready to shoot. Guys were getting into the lane, finding me, Sasha, Brandon (Newman) for open threes.
“You want to take open shots, that’s what (Matt Painter) preaches. He doesn’t like when we take bad shots, but when we’re open, he wants every shooter to be able to shoot the ball and knock it down. He gives us confidence, and the guys were giving me confidence tonight.”
Thompson’s fire started to run out in the second half, as he made just one more 3-pointer and finished the game with 15 points. But after attempting two deep shots in the first half, Stefanovic found an unstoppable rhythm in the second.
The senior was a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes while adding four more points from the free-throw line. His 23 points tied a career high and led all scorers by the end of the game.
Bellarmine was led by guards Dylan Penn and C.J. Fleming, who each scored 14 points. But the Boilermakers had five players score in double figures, including sophomore guard Brandon Newman.
Coming off the bench, Newman attempted nine 3-pointers — more than any other player for Purdue — while knocking down three. He finished the game with 14 points. Sophomore center Zach Edey ended with 16 points, and Ivey added 11.
“When you have somebody like Trevion that can pass the ball so well, it really puts people into a bind,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “But I thought our guys made good decisions. And how they moved the basketball, it was great to see those guys step up and make shots.”
Purdue will return to Mackey Arena on Friday to face off against Indiana State. The game is scheduled to tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Stories Related to Purdue Basketball
- PURDUE, BELLARMINE LIVE BLOG: Purdue basketball opened the 2021-22 season against Bellarmine at Mackey Arena on Tuesday. 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.