Purdue walked into Monday night trying to dodge an ugly 0-3 start, and for a while it looked like the same old nerves might creep back in. Instead, the Boilermakers found a burst when they needed it most, ripping off a 21-2 run in the second half and rolling past Illinois State 76-59 at Mackey Arena.
The biggest spark came from Antione West Jr., who got the start in place of Omer Mayer and Gicarri Harris. That move fit what Purdue had already shown in the two overtime periods against Valparaiso, and West made the opportunity count. The redshirt freshman finished 7-11 from the floor, hit 3-4 from deep, and earned John Wooden Memorial Player of the Game honors in what looked like a real breakthrough night.
Purdue also got a much-needed lift from Daniel Jacobsen, who led the team with 20 points on just eight shots. That kind of efficiency mattered in a game where the Boilermakers were still searching for rhythm for long stretches. Jacobsen was the only Purdue player in double figures at halftime, when he already had 10.
The first half was better than what Purdue showed in the second half and double overtime against Valparaiso, but it still came with plenty of rough edges. The offense often stalled with players spaced around the perimeter, waiting for something to happen. Purdue also went through some wild swings, hitting seven straight shots at one point before closing the half 1-9.
Even so, the Boilermakers did enough to take control early. They shot 4-10 from three in the first half, with West knocking down two and Benter and Jacobsen adding one apiece.
On the other end, Purdue made life difficult for Illinois State from long range. The Redbirds entered the night shooting just over 50% from three in their first two games, but Purdue held them to 3-16 from beyond the arc in the opening half, including one banked-in make.
Still, Illinois State kept hanging around. Purdue’s lead was only eight at halftime, 36-28, after West buried a three to close the half. That was actually a smaller cushion than Purdue had against Valparaiso, when it led by 12 at the break.
The second half followed a familiar script for a while. Illinois State kept trimming the margin until Purdue’s lead shrank to 50-48 with 8:55 left, and the tension in the building was obvious.
Then Purdue flipped the switch. With CJ Cox, West, Luke Ertel, Jack Benter, and Jacobsen on the floor, the Boilermakers tightened up on both ends and took over.
From 8:55 to 2:33, Purdue outscored Illinois State 21-2 and pushed the game out of reach. The final stretch ended up as part of a 26-11 closing run, though some of those points came after the result was already decided.
A few numbers tell the rest of the story. Purdue shot 8-19 from three, good for 42%.
It went 16-18 at the free-throw line. It also owned the glass, outrebounding Illinois State 30-17, and those extra chances mattered when the offense was uneven.
Mayer played only 14 minutes and finished 1-3 from the field. West’s line stood out most, and Jacobsen’s scoring came with real efficiency.
Purdue needed a win, and it got one. More than that, for about six minutes in the second half, it looked like the team everyone expected to see this season.
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