Purdue Basketball: Boilermakers Look Sharp in Exhibition Win
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue looked ready to start the regular season during its impressive 88-59 victory over Southern Indiana in an exhibition basketball game Friday night at Mackey Arena.
The Boilermakers, who are ranked No. 23 in the Association Press preseason poll, looked sharp from the get-go, dashing out to an 18-3 lead and leading by 30 at halftime (54-21). The Boilers made 18 of 23 shots in the first half — an impressive 78.3 percent. They were 6-for-9 from 3-point range and made 12 of 13 free throws.
"I thought tonight, at the start of the game, we really showed our experience, showed our patience,'' Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "We really got off to a good start, and it was a good experience for a lot of our guys.''
The Boilermakers were led by forwards Aaron Wheeler and Matt Haarms, who had 17 and 16 points respectively. Jahaad Proctor and Trevion Williams also were in double figures, with 10 points each.
Purdue shot 57.2 percent for the game — the starters finished with a 71 percent night — and was an impressive 10-for-21 from the 3-point line. It was Purdue's first live action from the new 3-point line, which was moved back this season. Wheeler, a sophomore from Stamford, Conn., was 4-for-4 from the line.
Purdue, the defending Big Ten co-champions, opens the regular season at home on Wednesday night against Green Bay. The game begins at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be televised by the Big Ten Network.
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Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist who's worked at some America's finest newspapers, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Indianapolis Star. He also owns the book publishing company, Hilltop30 Publishing Group, and he has written four books and published 16 others.