In a closely contested battle at Mackey Arena, Purdue basketball found a silver lining in their narrow 76-74 loss to Michigan State. Despite the defeat, the Boilermakers managed to do something no other team had accomplished against the Spartans this season: outrebound them. Purdue edged out Michigan State on the boards, 27-25, a notable feat considering the Spartans had been dominating opponents with an average rebounding margin of 12.7 per game.
Purdue's head coach, Matt Painter, recognized the Spartans' prowess in rebounding across all categories. "They are great in rebounding in all of them," Painter noted, emphasizing the challenge his team faced.
The Boilermakers' effort on the glass translated into a 16-6 advantage in second-chance points, nearly offsetting Michigan State's 19 points off turnovers. Purdue's fifth-year senior forward, Trey Kaufman-Renn, led the charge with a game-high six rebounds. "We were plus-two on the boards against one of the best rebounding teams in the country," Kaufman-Renn remarked, though he acknowledged struggles in containing the Spartans' dribble penetration.
Last season, rebounding was a glaring weakness for Purdue, ranking 245th in offensive rebounding and 304th in defensive rebounding. However, the addition of Oscar Cluff from South Dakota State via the transfer portal, along with Kaufman-Renn's career-high average of nine rebounds per game, has transformed this aspect of their game. Entering Thursday's matchup, Purdue was ranked 16th nationally in rebound rate, a testament to their improvement.
Despite the progress, Coach Painter reminded everyone of the ultimate measure of success. "You get gauged on that final score," he said.
"And they scored more than us." While the Boilermakers' rebounding efforts were commendable, the focus remains on turning these gains into victories.