Boilers Ruin Wolverine Dreams

by: Steven Stremming

LAFAYETTE:  As many of you do, I circle games on the schedule to make sure I am present and one of those games this year, was tonight’s Michigan visit to Mackey Arena.

To say the least, the game didn’t disappoint as the standing room only crowd witnessed action from start to finish. Not only were the fans on their feet but also the edge of their seats.

Photo by: Rick McIntyre, Excel High School Sports

Purdue’s Matt Painter and Michigan’s John Beilein both were fans too, because the home standing Boilers and their guest Wolverines put on a brilliant six plus minute run in the second half, one that featured absolutely zero, yes zero stoppages as they both watched the high end play.

  

Photo by: Rick McIntyre, Excel High School Sports

The game though started with two words, man handled.

The man handling was done by Purdue’s Isaac Haas, 7’2 Senior by scoring the first nine points out of the Boilers 14 total. In fact, 6’11, Junior Mortiz Wagner looked stunned himself.  And as many followers of the BiG Ten that just doesn’t happen. In fact, it took a halftime break to get Moritz back into the flow of the game.

Photo by: Rick McIntyre, Excel High School Sports

The Boilers have more than Haas and it showed as Middletown, Ohio, 6’8 Senior Vincent Edwards then put his stamp on the game as he bracketed two three pointers with three traditional field goals.

Photo by: Rick McIntyre, Excel High School Sports

Another key figure in the Boiler win was the vastly improved 6’1 Sophomore, Carsen Edwards.

Photo by: Rick McIntyre, Excel High School Sports

Edwards played perhaps his most important minutes of the game early in the second half as he hit a field goal at the 15:41 mark, another three at the 12:49 minute and a huge steal in that time frame.

Before we get to the Wolverines, another key sequence was again the play of Haas and Edwards and Michigan’s Mortiz.

Photo by: Rick McIntyre, Excel High School Sports

Moritz positioned himself differently in the second half searching for a advantage but Haas was ready. When Moritz was on the hip, Haas went strong to the basket when Moritz stepped back and left Haas to make a decision he did, as he deftly hit a moving Edwards for two lay-ups.

For Michigan, the Wolverines never rolled over, they played every possession with purpose and no Wolverine was larger than Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rakman, the 6’4 Senior from Allentown, Pennsylvania was superb as he went for 26 points on 10-15 from two point variety and a spectacular six of nine from three point range, including three three’s in a row in the air depleted second half in Mackey Arena.

Photo by: Rick McIntyre, Excel High School Sports

Kentucky transfer Charles Matthews, the 6’6 Junior from Chicago led the team in assists with six, four boards and ten points.

Moritz went for 15 points and Lima, Ohio Sophomore, Zavier Simpson scored 16 points with five assists for Michigan.

Edwards led the Boilers with 30 points, Haas added 24 and Carsen Edwards with 13. Other Boilers who contributed were Dakota Mathias nine, Matt Haarms six, P J Thompson five, Ryan Cline three and Nojel Eastern a bucket.

Rahkman led Big Blue with 26 with Simpson 16, Moritz 15 and Matthews 10. Other contributors were a nice contribution from Medina, Ohio’s Jon Teske with eight points and three boards with both Jordan Poole and Duncan Robison’s five a piece and three from Isaiah Livers three.

Purdue travels to Bloomington, Indiana to take on the Hoosiers while Michigan goes home to take on Northwestern.