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Purdue clearly benefited from a week of practice.

After going a full week without a game following last weekend's win over Chicago State, the Boilermakers looked sharp Saturday night in their final outing before next weekend's marquee games vs. VCU, then either Florida State or Tennessee in Florida, beating Jacksonville State 81-49.

Purdue spent the week emphasizing playing through the post, getting the ball Inside to Matt Haarms and Trevion Williams, conditioning themselves to look Inside and get the ball Into the hands of Its big men, which the Boilermakers were Inconsistent doing through four games.

It was emphasized, and drilled.

The message was clearly received.

Trevion Williams scored nine straight points for Purdue mid-first half, finishing off a 14-0 Boilermaker run and nudging this game toward blowout status.

"It's different from when Coach is saying It, and then when you're watching it on film, that we aren't getting it in the post," Williams said. "That's what we've been working on In practice, getting it inside, throwing It at his head, just trying to deliver the ball without turning it over. It worked out."

Then, In the second half, after Purdue was already up 25 at the break, Matt Haarms went off, scoring 15 of his team-high 17 points In the final 20 minutes, making sure there would be no nervous moments the rest of the way.

"Guys were really looking for us," Haarms said. "On the plays we run to specifically get the ball inside, what I really noticed today was that they were looking for us for longer. We've felt like a problem we've had was we'd look for a second, a second-and-a-half, then stop looking. (Tonight), guys were looking long on the first option and then on the second option, looking for that, as well."

Later, Haarms — one of Purdue's leaders — baked some accountability into his post-game explanation.

"I need to be asking for the ball more," Haarms said. "That was a big part of it, too. I was giving up on the post-up. Tonight, one thing I did better and we'll continue to work on, was being more aggressive in asking for the ball. Guys can't get it to me if I'm not looking for the ball."

The bigs were the centerpiece of a razor-sharp offensive performance by Purdue, which shot 69 percent In the first half, then dominated the opening of the second half — "We played well to start the second half probably for the first time this season," Matt Painter said — and finished with 23 assists on 31 field goals, with only six turnovers.

The big men were dominant obviously, Haarms and Williams combining for 26 on 10-of-14 shooting. Haarms added 10 rebounds and five blocked shots and drew eight fouls.

But the guards were very good, too, as this may have been Purdue's best passing game of the season thus far, an area where the Boilermakers have been a bit rough around the edges.

Jahaad Proctor scored 14 points, but also five assists. He and Eric Hunter combined for 10 assists against just one turnover.

"We haven't been consistent in handling pressure and at times we've had a lot of unforced errors," Painter said. "You're always going to compare things to the other teams you've had, and we've had some teams that have done a really good job taking care of the basketball. This one has been a little more of a process, but you just have to keep working on it."

Meanwhile, Nojel Eastern scored six points — but it's not how many that was significant, but how.

All of Eastern's points came on mid-range jumpers.

"That's where it is with him," Painter said. "It's his confidence."

It sure looks like Purdue got better during its week of practice and now It gets four more practices before meeting ranked VCU on Friday in Destin.

"We have to get better here," Painter said. "It's really hard when you start playing a lot of games because you have to make improvements in competition, which you still can, but in college, when you get a chance to practice early in the season, you've got to make some strides. It's going to be just as important this week for our guys to make those improvements."

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