WATCH: Fletcher Loyer, Ethan Morton Preview Game Against Ohio State
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — After losing three of its last four games, Purdue basketball regroups and looks to bounce back with a home matchup against Ohio State on Sunday at Mackey Arena.
The two teams met back on Jan. 5 in Columbus, Ohio, when the Boilermakers escaped with a 71-69 victory thanks to a game-winning 3-pointer by freshman guard Fletcher Loyer. As a team, they made 13 shots from deep after struggling with their perimeter shooting during the nonconference portion of the season.
In the first meeting between Purdue and Ohio State, Loyer struggled in the first half and came off the bench in the second. He posted all 11 of his points after halftime and was one of four players that scored in double figures.
"It was a little bit of a rough half, but everyone stuck by me. Everyone stood by one another," Loyer said. "We were going to go in there and fight. We didn't want to drop two in a row having lost to Rutgers right before that. We knew we just had to battle it out and win."
Junior guard Ethan Morton scored a season-high 10 points against the Buckeyes and took advantage of plentiful opportunities on the perimeter. While he wasn't extremely efficient from the field, he still attempted seven 3-pointers in the game.
As of late, Purdue has struggled to knock down shots, which has allowed opposing teams to put a heavy focus on star center Zach Edey underneath the basket. Against Ohio State, the team will have an opportunity to return to form and build confidence as the regular season comes to a close.
"It's just about being aggressive when the opportunity is presented to you," Morton said. "Even over these last few games, I still think we've gotten a lot of good looks that we want from three, we just haven't made them.
"That's part of life on the road. That's part of playing in the Big Ten. At this point in the year, your legs are a little bit heavier than they were at the beginning. So it's all part of making adjustments to that."
The game is scheduled to tip off at 1 p.m. ET, and it will be televised on CBS. The Boilermakers will be at home for three of their final four games beginning on Sunday.
WATCH: Fletcher Loyer Previews Ohio State
WATCH: Ethan Morton Previews Ohio State
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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.