FORT WAYNE - Purdue’s first road trip of the season looked a little stickier than its opening exhibition, but the Boilermakers still had plenty in the tank.
Purdue rolled past Purdue Fort Wayne 93-62 at Memorial Coliseum on Thursday, Oct. 22, leaning on a strong finish to the first half and then stretching the lead with a dominant second-half push in preseason action.
The Boilermakers shot 58.1% for the game and connected on 13 of 33 from behind the arc. After a shaky stretch early, they took control by closing the first half with a 23-12 run over the final 7:06 to take a 42-31 lead into the break.
That surge came after the game was tied at 19 past the midway point of the first half. Purdue had already dealt with a few rough 3-point attempts and three early turnovers, but back-to-back 3s from CJ Cox and Omer Mayer, plus a pair of Daniel Jacobsen free throws, helped flip the tone. From there, Purdue settled in and mostly cruised.
Cox again looked like the guy who can steady this team. There may not be a single clear alpha on the roster, but through two exhibition games, the third-year starter has made a strong case that this is his group. After going for 15 points and hitting 5 of 6 from 3-point range against Ball State last Sunday, Cox kept the shot-making going against Fort Wayne.
He finished with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting, along with 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 21 minutes. Over the two exhibition games, he’s shooting 64.7% and averaging 14 points in 37 total minutes.
Antione West also gave Purdue a lift from deep. At one point, he drilled three straight 3-pointers, and his banked trey snapped a dry spell in which the Boilermakers had gone empty on five of their previous six possessions. West ended with 16 points, 3 rebounds and a steal.
Omer Mayer continued to show a different look at point guard, one that leans more toward scoring than the steady table-setting Purdue has gotten used to from Braden Smith over the last four years. Mayer scored 15 points and added 4 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals.
Jack Benter did a little of everything, too. Matt Painter had already pointed to Benter’s 14-to-1 assists-to-turnover ratio in competitive practice drills, but his rebounding stood out here. The redshirt sophomore finished with 10 boards.
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Purdue's First Road Test Exposed One Concern Fans Can't Ignore
Purdues first road test of the season offered an early reminder that travel can make even a talented roster look ordinary for stretches. Fort Waynes defensive pressure clearly bothered the Boilermakers at the outset, forcing them into some uncomfortable possessions before they settled in and started to play with more rhythm after halftime.
The good news for Purdue was that the bench helped steady things, with Antoine West giving the offense a needed lift and Jack Benter doing his part on the glass. The bigger question is whether the opening half was just a road-game hiccup or a sign that this group still has some work to do when opponents turn up the heat and take away easy looks near the rim. [Read more 🡒]