'We Allowed it to be Close': No. 1 Purdue Falls to Rutgers 70-68 on the Road
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Purdue coach Matt Painter learned from legendary coach Gene Keady that if you can't find a way to pull away from teams on the road, crazy things can happen.
Despite having the advantage over Rutgers in several statistics Thursday night at Jersey Mike's Arena, the Scarlet Knights scored more efficiently and won the game on a desperation 3-pointer from just inside half court by senior Ron Harper Jr. at the buzzer.
"Coach Keady used to always talk about it, when you go on the road, you got to be 10 points better than somebody," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "Because if you allow it to be close, crazy things can happen. We allowed it to be close.
"We had a couple free-throw box outs we didn't get, we turned the ball over there late, we get an offensive foul. Crazy things happen. And obviously that shot was a once-in-a-lifetime type shot, but we allowed it to be close."
The Boilermakers were coming off their first No. 1 ranking in program history while going on the road for the first time this season when it tipped off against the Scarlet Knights. But Rutgers held a three-game win streak over Purdue heading into the game.
The team has had the luxury of playing in front of a sold-out Mackey Arena back in West Lafayette for most of its first eight games, aside from neutral-court matchups in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament.
So when shots weren't falling for Purdue, the roar of the crowd wasn't there to get it back in the game. The team shot a season-low 41% from the field and 27% from the 3-point line.
"It's one of those things," Painter said. "It's being able to make shots at home, make shots on a neutral court, make shots when things are going your way. But now when things aren't quite going your way, and you're on the road, it's just harder. And some of our guys just haven't been through that."
The Boilermakers were reliant on feeding the ball into the post. They found 36 points in the paint and outscored the Scarlet Knights in second-chance points and points off turnovers by a 38-8 margin. Senior forward Trevion Williams led the team with a double-double, scoring 21 while grabbing 11 rebounds.
Sophomore center Zach Edey added 13 points in just 16 minutes, and Purdue finished the game with a 35-27 rebounding advantage. Sophomore guard Jaden Ivey was the only other player in double figures, scoring 15.
Rutgers found a way to keep the game close until the very end, scoring on its last six shots while the Boilermakers managed just one basket in the final three minutes. Williams' final shot found the bottom of the net with about three second left to play, giving Purdue a 68-67 lead.
"I thought we did a good job executing at the end on that play to get the ball to Trevion," Painter said. "It's hard because when you don't have a timeout, you want to call one right there and set your defense. They want to call one probably and set something up. We didn't have one, so we told our guys right away you got to get back right away, not let him advance it."
But on the ensuing play, Harper took the inbound pass and raced up the court, weaving his way through two Boiler defenders to heave a shot from the logo. The ball rattled into the basket with no time left, and all Purdue could do was watch as the court was flooded with fans.
Painter said the team took a handful of ill-advised shots that he wishes he had back. It's no secret that the Boilermakers are looking to get Williams and Edey going inside, with Ivey making plays in transition.
But what had been an excellent 3-point shooting team throughout the early part of the season couldn't find a rhythm on the road.
"We have a very efficient team, but we didn't play like it today," Painter said. "We didn't play bad, but you got to be a little bit more efficient. You got to probe the defense a little bit more, get a little bit better of a shot."
The loss to Rutgers was the first of a three-game road trip for Purdue. The team will take on NC State on Sunday before staying in-state for a matchup with Butler in the Crossroads Classic on Saturday, Dec. 18.
VIDEO: Rutgers Coach Steve Pikiell After the Game
Stories Related to Purdue Basketball
- PURDUE FALLS TO RUTGERS ON THE ROAD: Ron Harper Jr. hit a buzzer beater 3-pointer to give Rutgers a 70-68 win over Purdue, the Boilermakers’ first loss of the season. Senior forward Trevion Williams led the team with 21 points and 11 rebounds. CLICK HERE
- WHAT PURDUE COACH MATT PAINTER SAID: No. 1 Purdue basketball was defeated 70-68 on the road against Rutgers. Here's what Matt Painter said after the game. CLICK HERE
- WHAT RUTGERS COACH STEVE PIKIELL SAID: Rutgers senior Ron Harper Jr. recorded 30 points and 10 rebounds, capped off by a buzzer-beater from just inside half court to stun the No. 1-ranked Purdue basketball program in a 70-68 victory. Here's what coach Steve Pikiell said after the game. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE, RUTGERS LIVE BLOG: No. 1 Purdue was on the road against Rutgers at Jersey Mike's Arena in its first road matchup of the season. The Boilermakers fell to 8-1. 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.