Purdue Advances to Big Ten Tournament Semifinal With 70-65 Win Over Rutgers

Purdue grinded out a tough game against Rutgers on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the 2023 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament. The Boilermakers fell behind by as many as 12 points before halftime and eventually closed the game out in the second half.

CHICAGO — Purdue avenged its regular-season loss at home to Rutgers, coming back from down 12 points early in the first half to earn a 70-65 win in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament on Friday at the United Center.

Junior forward Mason Gillis led all scorers with 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting, which included a pair of 3-pointers, while also coming down with nine rebounds. Junior center Zach Edey and senior guard David Jenkins Jr. also scored in double figures, finishing with 16 and 12, respectively.

The Boilermakers won their second game against the Scarlet Knights in the last seven meetings to advance to Saturday’s semifinal where it will take on the winner of a matchup between Michigan State and Ohio State.

“I just went into the game knowing they have out-competed us, out-toughed us the past couple years," Gillis said. "I knew my mentality was I had to get on the boards and set that tone, and then just the rest is it.”

Coupled with its usual defensive intensity, Rutgers was on fire out of the gates offensively. The Scarlet Knights made five of their first six shots from the field, including 3-of-4 from the 3-point line.

Senior guard Paul Mulcahy — who had 16 points against the Boilermakers at Mackey Arena on Jan. 2 — led the way by scoring eight of his 10 points in the first half.

Purdue didn’t make it any easier on itself and committed three turnovers in the first four minutes of the game. In the first meeting between the two teams, Rutgers scored 18 points off 13 turnovers.

“We were a little careless on a couple of turnovers, but I thought we had some pretty good looks," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "So kind of just hanging in there. We had a couple of defensive breakdowns. "But it's part of a game. Sometimes you get off to those starts.”

The Scarlet Knights led by as many as 12 points before water began to find its level. The backcourt for the Boilermakers struggled heavily during the opening period, but senior David Jenkins Jr. provided a much-need spark off the bench.

He buried the team’s first 3-pointer of the game and had six points on 2-of-2 shooting heading into the second half. The shot came during a 14-3 run that cut the deficit to one point before Rutgers responded.

“I feel like half the battle is to be able to stay in the game for coach Painter," Jenkins said. "To be able to play defensively and be able to get rebounds and do the little things, a lot of things that Mason does." 

"That's kind of the role I've been trying to take on, and if the shots fall, that's good to add on. Just staying ready offensively and defensively.”

Purdue found its first lead of the contest on an individual 6-0 run from Edey, who scored back-to-back baskets despite getting fouled. He knocked down both free-throw attempts to take a 25-24 lead with 1:59 left in the half.

Edey scored 10 points and six rebounds before halftime, and junior forward Mason Gillis also had 10 by going 4-of-4 from the floor. He drilled a 3-pointer just before the break, and the Boilermakers went into the locker room leading 29-28.

“He brings that every game," Purdue junior guard Ethan Morton said. "Whether he scores 20 he scores zero, that effort on the glass and on the defensive end — just understanding what we're going and being a post reader and a cutter — that's always there. Today, he just happens to make shots and get some rebounds and cut off the ball, which is pretty awesome for us.”

The two teams went back and forth for the entirety of the second half, but Rutgers had a scoring drought that lasted four minutes, and Purdue took advantage with a 6-0 run to take a 56-49 lead with 5:40 left to go.

The Boilermakers were 5-of-10 from the 3-point line in the second half after making just two before the break. In a three-minute stretch, Jenkins and Morton combined for three triples.

Morton registered all eight of his points in the second half, and Jenkins was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field to end the game, including 3-of-3 from the 3-point line.

“For us, whether those shots go in or not, it's about playing hard and being solid on defense and making the right plays," Morton said. "Obviously, it's great when shots come up and things sort of open up a little bit.”

But with four players scoring in double figures, the Scarlet Knights never fell behind by double digits. Freshman guard Derek Simpson logged 13 of his team-high 18 points in the second half but ended with a 5-of-16 mark from the floor.

“We knew they put Derek Simpson in there and knew they were really encouraging him to be more aggressive," Painter said. "They bogged down here the last month offensively and they haven't played as well as they did the previous month offensively. And I think Derek really gives them that guy that can break people down."

Senior guard Cam Spencer recorded 13 points, and junior center Clifford Omoruyi matched Mulcahy with 10. It was foul trouble down the stretch that prevented Rutgers from ever taking the lead in the final 10 minutes.

Purdue made 19 of its 27 free throws, including 10 in the last four minutes of the game. After giving up nine points on six first-half turnovers, the Boilermakers ended with 11 turnovers that resulted in just 12 points for the Scarlet Knights.

“We had a couple late turnovers, but besides that, I think we did a good job getting it past half-court and getting into our offense," Jenkins said. "It feels good to get a win against them, but obviously that's a temporary feeling because we've got the next game tomorrow, and we've got to be prepared for that.”

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