UConn made Purdue look ordinary in the final tune-up before the games start counting, rolling to a 76-53 win that closed the exhibition slate and left the Boilermakers with plenty to sort through.
The opening half was where the gap really showed. Purdue couldn’t get its perimeter game going against UConn’s defense, and the first made three didn’t come until a little more than two minutes remained before halftime, when Jack Benter finally broke through.
By then, Purdue was already stuck at 1-14 from deep in the half, with West, Mayer and Cox all going 0-3 from beyond the arc. UConn also controlled the glass early, winning the rebounding battle 20-15 before halftime.
The Huskies’ athleticism showed up everywhere, especially in transition. They piled up 9 fast break points in the first 20 minutes while Purdue had none, and the paint was a problem too. UConn scored 35 first-half points, with 20 coming inside, as Purdue headed to the locker room trailing 35-20.
Purdue managed to trim the margin to 10 early in the second half, but UConn quickly pushed the lead out again. By the 11:00 mark, the Huskies were ahead 55-31.
Antoine West fouled out, and Purdue’s shooting woes never eased. The Boilermakers attempted only three threes in the first 10 minutes of the second half and missed every one, leaving them at 1-17 from long range at that point.
The final numbers tell the story of a rough night:
- Purdue shot 2-25 from three-point range
- The Boilermakers were outrebounded 40-34
- Purdue finished at 32.8% from the field
- UConn scored 38 points in the paint
- The Huskies scored 17 fast break points
- Purdue went 11-16 at the line, good for 68.8%
CJ Cox was the lone Boilermaker in double figures and earned John Wooden Memorial Player of the Game honors. He finished with 18 points, going 7-14 from the floor and 1-5 from three while playing 34 minutes. No one else on Purdue scored more than nine.
Gicarri Harris had a quiet night, playing 24 minutes and finishing with just two points, both at the foul line, while going 0-2 from the field. Purdue also wanted more from him.
There were a couple of positives buried in the loss. Daniel Jacobsen showed improvement by getting to the right spots defensively several times in the second half, even if he wasn’t perfect.
Caden Pierce helped on the glass with 7 rebounds. And while Cox struggled from outside, he was Purdue’s most reliable offensive option overall.
More than anything, this game gave Purdue its first real dose of adversity. The exhibition results won’t count, and the 76-53 final won’t live in the record book, but the Boilermakers have now finished the preseason at 2-1 and turn the page to the opener in Las Vegas against Gonzaga.
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The break gave Purdue time to recover from injuries and sort through some recent uneven play, and there are a few key areas that could decide whether that reset pays off. Penn State has had trouble in the red zone and against the run, while Purdue has its own issues to clean up in those same spaces, making this the kind of game where one or two drives could swing the day and say a lot about how far the Boilermakers have come since their last outing. [Read more 🡒]
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Daniel Jacobsen was one of the clearer bright spots, giving Purdue a presence inside and showing signs of growth on the defensive end while helping with blocks and rebounds. Even so, the broader concern was hard to miss as the smaller lineups struggled to hold up against UConns length, pace and pressure. For a team that is expected to contend, the final tune-up left behind more questions about scoring balance and shot-making than answers. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Painter Sent Purdue An Early Warning After Ugly UConn Loss
Purdues exhibition against No. 4 UConn offered an early look at where the Boilermakers still have work to do before the games start counting. The 76-53 loss was especially rough on the perimeter and on the glass, and Matt Painter came away with a clear sense that his team has to get tougher, cleaner and more disciplined in the next stretch of practices if it wants to be ready for the regular season.
Painter also had reason to take note of some individual performances, especially from younger players who are still adjusting to the speed and physicality of high-level college basketball. Even in a game that exposed several flaws, there were a few spots worth building on, but the bigger takeaway was how far Purdue still has to go in turning that kind of effort into something that travels once the season begins. [Read more 🡒]