No. 3 Purdue Gets Trounced at Michigan, Falling Out of Big Ten Lead After 82-58 Loss
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It took a month for No. 3-ranked Purdue to regain its lead in the Big Ten, and it took one game to give it right back.
And they got bombed with a taste of its own medicine.
The Boilermakers (21-4, 10-4 in the Big Ten) had no answer for Michigan's torrid shooting on Thursday night, getting walloped 82-58 at the Crisler Center before a national TV audience. They shot poorly themselves, got crushed on the boards, turned it over way too much and never figured out a way to shut down the Wolverines' red-hot offense in their first blowout loss in more than a calendar year.
Hunter Dickinson, Eli Brooks and Caleb Houstan all had four three-pointers to lead Michigan's rout. The Wolverines (13-9, 7-5 in the Big Ten) were 12-for-21 shooting from three-point range, and Purdue's defense made it far too easy for them.''
“The eight turnovers in the first half, you’ve got to be able to make plays. They just executed better, they were tougher than us and they made shots,’' Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “We just have to have a better focus.''
Purdue entered the game in a three-way tie for the Big Ten lead with Illinois and Wisconsin, with all three at 10-3. Purdue has just rejoined the lead after smoking Illinois on Tuesday at Mackey Arena, but the quick turnaround didn't help. The euphoria from Tuesday quickly disappeared less than 48 hours later.
Wisconsin hosts Rutgers on Saturday, and Illinois hosts Northwestern on Sunday. Purdue is back in action on Sunday, at home against Maryland.
“They played really well tonight,'' Purdue center Trevion Williams said. "They played harder than us, and they shot better than us. That’s life on the road. You don’t get calls and your shots don’t always fall. All we can do is let it humble us and work on getting better.
"Purdue beat Purdue tonight. We didn't play well at all.''
Three-points shooting was a huge issue for Purdue, which came into the game leading the league in made threes (233). They were just 1-for-9 in the first half, and missed their first three long balls out of the break. They finished the game making just 4-of-18 three-pointers.
Michigan, by the way, came into the game dead last in the Big Ten in three-pointers made (133)
The two teams met just five days ago, and even though Purdue won 82-76 at Mackey Arena on Sunday, Michigan gave them all they could handle. Hunter Dickinson, Michigan;'s 7-foot-1 center, was able to drag Purdue's big men out onto the perimeter, and he racked up 28 points.
It was the third game in five days for both teams, so neither team had a rest advantage, and there was little need for much game-plan adjustments on short notice. Michigan finished the first half on a 14-5 run to lead by nine at the break.
And in the second half, the Wolverines got hot and stayed hot. They made 9-of-13 three-pointers in the period and blew the game open in a hurry.
All five Michigan starters were in double figures. Dickinson led the way with 22 points. Brooks had 18.
Jaden Ivey led Purdue with 18 points. Trevion Williams had 12, and Zach Edey added 10. Guard Sasha Stefanovic had a season-low three points on 1-of-6 shooting.
Purdue hadn't lost by double-digits in more than a year, dating back to a Jan. 22 home loss to Michigan in 2021.
Purdue-Michigan box score
Related stories on Purdue basketball
- "WE WANT TO BE BIG TEN CHAMPIONS": Purdue basketball is tied with Illinois and Wisconsin at 10-3 at the top of the Big Ten standings. With seven games left to play, the Boilermakers are looking to attain the goal of a conference championship this season. CLICK HERE
- JADEN IVEY TAKES OVER IN WIN OVER ILLINOIS: Purdue sophomore guard Jaden Ivey scored 22 of his 26 points in the second half against Illinois on Tuesday to lead the team to its sixth straight victory. The No. 3-ranked Boilermakers are now among three teams tied atop the Big Ten standings. CLICK HERE
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.