Boilermaker “Trifecta Trio” Torments Wolverines

Boilermaker “Trifecta Trio” Torments Wolverines

written by: Shawn Martin/Excel H Sports

photos by: Anthony Harper/Excel H Sports/Indiana Sports Network

THE DRUM BEAT
Purdue Basketball
Shawn Martin
Excelhsports.com

The weather outside was frightful – the atmosphere inside a sold-out Mackey Arena though, was delightful.

Fans braved dense fog and a late tip time to watch the top-ranked (Excel H Sports) Purdue Boilermakers dominate Michigan in B1G Men’s Basketball action Tuesday night.

The Trifecta Trio of Boilermaker guards Fletcher Loyer, Braden Smith, and Lance Jones scored ten of Purdue’s first thirteen points, and Purdue led 13-4 right after the first media timeout. The Wolverines never came out of their fog the rest of the game and Purdue continued to build on the lead throughout the game.

     

stock photos by: Anthony Harper/Excel H Sports/ISN

The Boilermakers routed the undermanned Wolverines 99-67.

The Trio finished the game a sizzling eight of thirteen from beyond the arc and combined for 42 points! Freshman Myles Colvin wants to make it a quartet, as he hit three straight threes over 3-1/2 minutes of the second half for his 9 points.

As a team, the Boilers shot 51.5% (34-66) from the field and a stratospheric 66.7% (14-21) from deep. Their 17-26 (65.4%) from the charity stripe was their only blemish on an otherwise very efficient shooting night.

One stretch of the game Purdue did struggle with their shooting touch. Purdue forward Caleb Furst hit a jumper shortly after a steal by Smith. Furst was fouled on the play and completed the old fashioned three-point-play to put his team up 24-10 with 10:40 remaining in the first half.

The Boilers would miss their next seven shots until Zach Edey – who hadn’t scored yet – rebounded a Loyer missed free throw and thunderously dunked, ending the almost three-minute scoring drought.

Michigan however, had a longer scoring drought during that same time period. They missed eight shots in a row over 5:45. It was 26-12 with seven and a half left in the opening stanza.

They never recovered.

Michigan was playing its second road game without its leading scorer – sophomore guard Dug McDaniel – who averages 17.4 points per game for the now 7-12 (2-6 B1G) Wolverines. McDaniel was suspended for six road games by the team to concentrate on his academic progress. He is allowed to dress for home contests in Ann Arbor but does not travel with the team to away contests.

Purdue (18-2, 7-2) dominated every facet of the game against this Juwan Howard led Michigan team, who doesn’t resemble anything close to the Fab Five unit that Howard was a part of.

The Boilers were clicking on all cylinders – all game -all the time. Thirteen Boilermakers hit the scoring column, sixteen played.

Jones was utterly unstoppable all game. He finished with a game high 24 points. About the only thing he missed the first half was the two free throws he took after a media timeout late in the opening twenty minutes.

Edey didn’t score the first twelve plus minutes, but ended with another Double-Double, 16 points and ten boards. Smith didn’t miss a shot, hitting 3 two-point field goals, a three, and two free throws for eleven points. Oh, he also dished out ten dimes (assists) and grabbed seven rebounds.

The only thing the Boilermaker faithful showed “displeasure” in, was when Purdue pulled the ball back out and took a shot clock violation, instead of trying to eclipse the century mark with under five seconds left.

Somehow, I don’t think that will that affect attendance at the next home game for Matt Painter’s team.

Jaelin Llewellyn led Michigan with 16 points. Terrance Williams II and George Washington III each had ten for the Wolverines.

Purdue travels to Rutgers (10-8, 2-5) on Sunday. Michigan returns home Saturday to host the Iowa Hawkeyes (11-7, 3-4)

(The following is credit sourced to Purdue University Athletics)

• Purdue improved to 18-2 overall and 7-2 in the Big Ten Conference with a 99-67 win over Michigan at Mackey Arena.
• The win was Purdue’s second straight against Michigan for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
• The Boilermakers have won 11 straight games at Mackey Arena including all 10 this season. Purdue is outscoring its opponents by 27.0 points per game in Mackey Arena.
• The Boilermakers are now 18-2 (or better) for the fourth time in school history (2023-24, 2022-23, 2017-18, 1987-88), including in back-to-back seasons for the first time ever.
• Purdue has won four straight games, coming by an average margin of 21.0 points per game. During that span, Purdue is averaging 91.3 points per game and shooting 45.6 percent from 3-point range. During that span, Purdue is averaging 1.32 points / possession.
• Purdue’s 1.41 points per possession against Michigan was its highest against a Big Ten opponent since having 1.47 points per possession against Iowa on Feb. 5, 2020. It marked the sixth-highest points / possession against a Big Ten team in school history.
• With its performance, Purdue now owns the nation’s No. 1-ranked offense in offensive efficiency via KenPom (126.3).
• Purdue’s first turnover of the game came at the 11:49 mark of the second half.
• The 32-point margin of victory was the largest against Michigan since Feb. 13, 2002 (79-43) and the largest in a Big Ten game since Feb. 5, 2020, vs. Iowa (104-68). It was the third-largest victory ever against Michigan and the most points scored against the Wolverines since Jan. 31, 1970 (116 points).
• Purdue has now scored at least 84 points in four straight Big Ten games for the first time since 1974 (six straight games).
• Purdue set a school record for 3-point percentage in a game with a minimum of 20 attempts, by going 14-of-21 (.667). Seven different players made 3-pointers.
• Purdue now has seven players that have made double-digit 3-pointers on the season. All seven are shooting at least 35.0 percent from deep, including six of them over 42.0 percent.
• Purdue is now 76-16 since the start of the 2021-22 season and 47-8 since the start of the 2022-23 season.
• Purdue is 84-3 since the start of the 2017-18 season when scoring at least 80 points.
• Zach Edey recorded his 52^nd career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. The 52 double-doubles are now the second most by a Big Ten player this century (Jordan Murphy – 67) and now just two shy of Terry Dischinger’s school-record of 54 double doubles.
• Edey moved into sixth place on the school’s career scoring list with 1,991 points.
• Edey’s 71 straight games of scoring in double-figures is now one off the school record set by Rick Mount (72).
• Lance Jones scored a season-high 24 points while making 5-of-9 from long distance. Over the last four games, Jones is averaging 18.0 points per game while making 15-of-32 (.469) from long range.
• Braden Smith scored 11 points with 10 assists, seven rebounds and one steal. Smith is tied for the nation’s lead with four, 10-assist games. He is now averaging 11.8 points, 7.3 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. In Big Ten play, Smith is averaging 9.2 points, 8.3 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game.