Purdue had a stretch of nearly 8 minutes where it did not score in the first half.
It had another stretch of nearly 5 minutes in the second half.
It was 1 of 14 from the floor for a stretch.
It trailed by 14 early and looked like a blowout could happen.
Boilers win.
Folks, this is one for the sheer guts pantheon. Purdue went on the road and had Trey Kaufman-Renn basically be a ghost, Fletcher Loyer score only 7 while limited to foul trouble, CJ Cox struggle mightily in a 1 for 9 night, and it had Oscar
Cluff in foul trouble for a good portion.
Didn’t matter. Purdue won.
As usual, Braden Smith had an incredible game, and given the deficiencies elsewhere on the court tonight he pretty much single-handedly dragged Purdue to victory. His clutch steal and score with 23 seconds left proved to be hte biggest difference, and that play also showcased how disjointed of a game this was. He got smacked in the face on the layup, but it was somehow not a foul because DJ Carstensen is apparently blind and the dog didn’t bark.
Despite the foul trouble, Cluff was still huge in this win. He fnished with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, including a huge basket with 1:47 left to give Purdue the lead for good at 62-60. His free throw shooting down the stretch was also huge, as he hit three of four in the last three minutes. You also have to credit Jack Benter, who had a critical stretch with a three, a steal, and a big assist to TKR.
This was such a disjointed game because the officiating was, to be blunt, onconsistent and awful. A lot of calls went USC’s way, but the Trojans could not cash in by going an abysmal 5 of 14 from the free throw line. That was the difference in your ballgame.
Honestly, this might be the worst Purdue has played all season except for a long stretch of the Iowa State game, but it still gutted out a much needed road win. If Purdue is to win the Big Ten, it is games like this that get you there. Down 60-57 with 3:23 left Purdue closed on a 12-4 run that included going 8 of 10 from the free throw line when it mattered most.
You don’t get graded on pretty, but it is a huge win on a night where Purdue was at about a C-.
