Purdue Freshman Guard Fletcher Loyer's 3-Point Streak Ends at Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS — Purdue guard Fletcher Loyer went into Thursday night's matchup against Minnesota with a hot hand as the reigning Big Ten Co-Player and Freshman of the Week.
The first-year player out of Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, Ind., is the leading 3-point scorer for the No. 3-ranked Boilermakers and made a shot from beyond the arc in 16 consecutive games dating back to the team's nonconference contest against Marquette in the third matchup of the 2022-23 season.
That streak came to an end, though, as Loyer shot 3-of-10 from the field and 0-of-2 from deep in a 61-39 rout of the Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. He scored six points while recording four rebounds and three assists without a turnover.
The last time Loyer went without scoring a 3-pointer this season was during a 63-44 win against Austin Peay on Nov. 11 before the new year.
Loyer, the 2022 Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year, came to West Lafayette rated as the 96th overall recruit in last year's recruiting class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
As a senior in high school, Loyer set a single-season school record for the Spartans with 726 points which included 73 made 3-pointers. He averaged 26.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game to lead Homestead to a regional semifinal.
Now a starter in his first season with Purdue, Loyer has a team-high 43 made 3-pointers and is shooting 36.8 percent from long range while averaging 13.1 points per contest.
Loyer posted a career-high 27 points on 8-of-15 shooting in a 73-55 win over Nebraska on Jan. 13 at Mackey Arena. His six 3-pointers set a school record for a freshman in a single game.
The Boilermakers are 18-1 and 7-1 in Big Ten play following their most recent victory over the Golden Gophers, good for the best start in program history. The team made 7-of-16 from the 3-point line in the matchup and is 43-of-104 in the last five games.
Loyer and Purdue will take the court on Sunday, Jan. 22, for a home contest against Maryland inside Mackey Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on FS1.
Related stories on Purdue basketball
- Purdue's First-Half Defense Sets Tone Against Minnesota: Purdue gave up 12 points to Minnesota in the first half of a 61-39 win Thursday night at Williams Arena, tied for the fewest in a half in school history. The Golden Gophers were 5-of-24 from the field and turned the ball over 10 times to start the game. CLICK HERE
- 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.