Breakdown: #4 Purdue's win at Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS — No. 4 Purdue made its first eight shots, executing on offense with razor-sharp precision, and never looked back, earning a businesslike 88-73 win at Minnesota.

Our breakdown.

PDF: Purdue-Minnesota statistics

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Again, like at Iowa, another offensive flexing of one's muscles for Purdue.

The Boilermakers did a lot of everything in snowing Minnesota under from the opening up, building a lead that peaked at 20 and never got closer than seven thereafter.

On a night when neither team missed much of anything at the Barn — combining for 50-percent three-point shooting — Purdue rained threes once again, as it's often done. Eric Hunter made four of 'em as part of a career-best 20-point game, while Sasha Stefanovic made three, finishing with 15 points and seven assists, with no turnovers. Mason Gillis made a pair of threes, as did Jaden Ivey.

This was a shootout in that regard.

"It would have been a fun game to watch as a fan," Coach Matt Painter said. "I don't think either one of us did a very good job stopping anyone from scoring from the three-point line."

But while Minnesota shot way above its season body of work, Purdue's balance was the difference, because the Boilermakers scored virtually however they wanted.

Ivey got to the rim regardless of whichever defense the Gophers were playing at any particular moment. He scored 21, and totaled four assists as part of one of his better passing games.

Painter and teammates lauded Ivey for his "patience" at Minnesota.

"The biggest thing for me is that earlier this season I think I showed my speed, but I went too fast," Ivey said. "Now I'm starting to understand: 'Just slow down.' I can turn the burners on and go fast, but this game, you have to change pace and play slow at times. I'm starting to understand that and get my teammates involved better each and every game. I'm going to keep building off that."

And then the post.

Minnesota started backup big man Charlie Daniels to burn through his fouls right away, and that he did, picking up his third not even five minutes in. The Gophers guarded Zach Edey one-on-one and he accounted for seven quick points; Purdue didn't miss a shot until nearly six-and-a-half minutes had passed.

"It's about setting the tone from the very beginning with my first shift, from the tip-off," Edey said, falling back on the hockey parlance of his youth. "It creates a gravity toward me where the rest of the game I can kick it out. People were getting wide-open layups because they didn't want to help off me, and we were drawing a lot of fouls. Having a good first shift sets you up for a really good game."

Purdue's big men weaponized that attention, combining for seven assists.

Edey went for 14, 12 rebounds and three assists, but it was Trevion Williams who closed an otherwise quiet game with the burst that figuratively brought Purdue home, on a night when it wouldn't be going home in a literal sense. (They're staying an extra night in Minneapolis.)

During knockout-punch time, Williams either scored or assisted on four straight field goals, accounting for nine straight Purdue points, thwarting Minnesota's last chance. When that stretch began, Purdue's lead was 11 with four-and-a-half minutes left; when it finished, it was a 17-point game with less than two minutes to play.

Purdue shot 56 percent from the floor, and was 12-of-24 from three-point range, making so many threes at moments where Minnesota seemed to be generating modest momentum.

Edey and Williams both did exceptional work passing out of crowds to wide-open shooters, especially in the second half, when Minnesota played mostly zone.

"(The big men) draw so much attention," Hunter said, "and we can all shoot.

"We know (defenses) have to try to take something away, so taking our bigs away, if that's what you want to do, we're gonna shoot threes."

Much like at Iowa, Purdue simply rolled offensively. It was far from perfect defensively, but the fact that Minnesota enjoyed a special shooting night and the Boilermakers still won big adds another layer of impressiveness to Purdue's fourth consecutive win.

The Gophers were 11-of-22 from three, as guard Payton Willis (24 points) threw in tough threes with defenders on his back in ball-screen action, forward Jamison Battle (21) shot over Purdue's size and defensive switches and guard Luke Loewe scored 11 points as the Boilermakers defended him with a forward so that a perimeter player could be dedicated to chasing Battle around. Even freshman big man Treyton Thompson — one of the three centers Minnesota used, all of them finishing with four fouls — made a three.

Minnesota's blistering shooting did create some moments of intrigue after halftime.

The Gophers turned a run of seven straight misses by Purdue into a run that cut the Boilermaker lead to just 63-56 with 11:37 left.

Who stabilized Purdue? Caleb Furst.

The Boilermaker freshman came up with a bucket off an in-bound, then a putback, to stop his team's swoon.

"That was huge for us," Painter said.

Minnesota deserves credit for pushing Purdue at times and not getting its doors blown off when the Boilermakers started how they did, but the visitors were the markedly better team here so this win on paper represents Purdue making par.

But significance lies in Purdue being businesslike and precise from the very outset. It's freezing in Minnesota and the crowd at the Barn lacked energy. This could have been viewed as a land-mine sort of game.

The Boilermakers only briefly deviated from what had been working, and then went right back to it, showing some self-awareness and not playing with their food, as they say.

This was another reminder that Purdue, at its best, might be the best offensive team in college basketball, and that has translated to the road the last two times out.

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