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COLLEGE PARK, MD — Purdue men’s basketball brought an emphatic end to its three-game losing streak Sunday at Maryland.
The No. 12 Boilermakers dominated early and rolled to a 93-63 victory at Xfinity Center. It was Purdue's first victory since Jan. 17, improving to 18-4, 8-3 in Big Ten play.
Here's what I liked and disliked, and what the win means.
Purdue needed to re-assert itself in numerous areas, but especially in rebounding and defense.
Better fight on the boards showed up almost immediately – especially in how the Boilers scrapped and jumped on offensive rebounds. Trey Kaufman-Renn tussled for two in the final two minutes of the half – both leading to Fletcher Loyer 3s.
Maryland likely would struggle to defend Purdue on any night. When the Boilers also built a combined 27-4 edge in second chance points and points off turnovers, there was no escaping that crater.
∎ Up until five games ago, Loyer was a 43.2% 3-point shooter since the start of his sophomore season. Then he hit a 5-for-21 skid, including three games in which he only attempted three 3s. He made his first try Sunday a couple of minutes in and made 5 of 7 before the end of the first half. His made 7 of 10 overall — matching his career high for makes — and his 29 points fell one short of the career high set in the opener against Evansville.
∎ Smith called for more self-accountability and harder play team-wide on his "Running Point" podcast earlier this week. Then he led by example Sunday. The stat line — 19 points and six assists against one turnover — counts as a baseline performance anymore. After voicing his concerns publicly, though, Smith had to bring the energy again Sunday, and did.
Smith speaks: What Purdue basketball discussed in Thursday's team meeting, per Braden Smith
Who would have thought winning at Maryland would only be worth a Quad 3 win for NCAA tournament resume purposes? The Terrapins really miss Pharrel Payne, but they might also be missing something more elemental right now. How long will it take for Buzz Williams makes them relevant within the Big Ten again, let alone anywhere else?
Insider: Was improved rebounding a Purdue strength or superlative? Time to find out
Purdue needed a win, sure, but it also needed to regain some swagger. While it more obviously comes out in lopsided wins, it seemed to be almost completely absent for much of Tuesday’s loss at IU. Maryland probably wasn’t going to extend the losing streak, but how the Boilers snapped it mattered, too.
Now comes a new challenge for a veteran team: taking six days off and rekindling that fire Saturday against Oregon.
Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar's Boilermakers newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue basketball score today vs Maryland, Fletcher Loyer game stats, record
Continue reading...
The No. 12 Boilermakers dominated early and rolled to a 93-63 victory at Xfinity Center. It was Purdue's first victory since Jan. 17, improving to 18-4, 8-3 in Big Ten play.
Here's what I liked and disliked, and what the win means.
What I liked in Purdue basketball's win at Maryland
Purdue needed to re-assert itself in numerous areas, but especially in rebounding and defense.
Better fight on the boards showed up almost immediately – especially in how the Boilers scrapped and jumped on offensive rebounds. Trey Kaufman-Renn tussled for two in the final two minutes of the half – both leading to Fletcher Loyer 3s.
Maryland likely would struggle to defend Purdue on any night. When the Boilers also built a combined 27-4 edge in second chance points and points off turnovers, there was no escaping that crater.
∎ Up until five games ago, Loyer was a 43.2% 3-point shooter since the start of his sophomore season. Then he hit a 5-for-21 skid, including three games in which he only attempted three 3s. He made his first try Sunday a couple of minutes in and made 5 of 7 before the end of the first half. His made 7 of 10 overall — matching his career high for makes — and his 29 points fell one short of the career high set in the opener against Evansville.
∎ Smith called for more self-accountability and harder play team-wide on his "Running Point" podcast earlier this week. Then he led by example Sunday. The stat line — 19 points and six assists against one turnover — counts as a baseline performance anymore. After voicing his concerns publicly, though, Smith had to bring the energy again Sunday, and did.
Smith speaks: What Purdue basketball discussed in Thursday's team meeting, per Braden Smith
What I disliked in Purdue basketball's win at Maryland
Who would have thought winning at Maryland would only be worth a Quad 3 win for NCAA tournament resume purposes? The Terrapins really miss Pharrel Payne, but they might also be missing something more elemental right now. How long will it take for Buzz Williams makes them relevant within the Big Ten again, let alone anywhere else?
Insider: Was improved rebounding a Purdue strength or superlative? Time to find out
What Purdue basketball's win at Maryland
Purdue needed a win, sure, but it also needed to regain some swagger. While it more obviously comes out in lopsided wins, it seemed to be almost completely absent for much of Tuesday’s loss at IU. Maryland probably wasn’t going to extend the losing streak, but how the Boilers snapped it mattered, too.
Now comes a new challenge for a veteran team: taking six days off and rekindling that fire Saturday against Oregon.
Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar's Boilermakers newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue basketball score today vs Maryland, Fletcher Loyer game stats, record
Continue reading...
