Purdue finished its four-game Canadian trip the right way on Wednesday night, rolling past the University of Fraser Valley 97-62 to close the week at 4-0.
The Boilermakers were in control from the start, and freshman Jacob Webber was the headliner. He poured in 21 points on 6-of-7 shooting from three-point range, giving Purdue its most explosive individual offensive performance of the trip.
C.J. Cox and Luke Ertel added 12 points apiece, Caden Pierce finished with 11, and Raleigh Burgess scored eight.
That final margin came after Purdue had already handled the Vancouver Selects, Trinity Western University and the University of Calgary earlier in the week. After four games in five days, the Boilermakers are headed home for some well-earned rest.
Webber saved his best for last. He came out firing, knocked down a few threes early and never really cooled off. For much of the afternoon, he looked completely comfortable letting it fly from deep, and the result was a team-high scoring night that stood out even in a trip full of solid performances.
Purdue also looked sharper from the opening tip than it did in Tuesday’s game against Calgary. The Boilermakers were a little sluggish in that one, especially with the second unit after it checked in about five minutes into the contest.
None of that carried over Wednesday. Purdue opened with a 17-2 burst and never let Fraser Valley get any real traction.
The energy was there from the jump, and so was the defensive pressure. Purdue stayed locked in all game, with the offense moving crisply and the defense forcing the issue possession after possession.
West kept making life miserable for opposing guards, too. His on-ball pressure has been one of the most consistent themes of the trip, and it showed again against Fraser Valley. He picked up ballhandlers full court, used active hands and physical defense to force mistakes, and kept opponents from settling in.
That work showed up in the box score. Purdue forced 22 turnovers and came away with 19 steals, turning those mistakes into 38 points. That kind of swing can bury a team fast, and it did Wednesday.
Another encouraging sign for Purdue has been its ability to get to the free-throw line. That was a problem last season, but this trip has shown a team more willing to attack the basket and draw contact. Wednesday wasn’t the cleanest example, but the Boilers still got to the stripe 20 times.
They just didn’t cash in enough. Purdue went 12-of-20 from the line overall and made only 11 of its 18 first-half attempts. The trips to the line are a positive; the finishing there still needs work.
Ertel added another strong showing to his week, finishing with 12 points, seven assists and five rebounds. For a freshman point guard, that’s a big-time line. He kept the ball moving, pushed the pace after rebounds and looked to advance it quickly in transition whenever he could.
Like any freshman, he had a few rookie mistakes mixed in, but the upside has been obvious all week. Purdue got plenty to like from him in Canada, and Wednesday was another reminder of how much he can do beyond just passing the ball.
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