Breakdown: Purdue's win over Nicholls
No. 3 Purdue finished off an unbeaten non-conference season on Wednesday evening, outscoring Nicholls 104-90 in Mackey Arena.
Our breakdown ...
PDF: Purdue-Nicholls statistics
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WHAT HAPPENED
Purdue flexed all of its offensive muscles against the Colonels, dominating the first half with perimeter shooting and controlling the second half on the interior.
During the first 20 minutes, it looked like a game of H-O-R-S-E, as both teams launched three after three.
"The way they were guarding us on post entries, we were just taking what they were giving us," guard Brandon Newman said. "Our offense is obviously centered around our big guys and they were doubling them when they got the chance, but our bigs are good passers and they were kicking out to shooters and we were getting open, rhythm shots."
Nicholls wasn't just doubling the post, it was doubling off some of the better shooters it will see all season. Purdue was 11-of-19 from three-point range in the first half, four of those makes coming during the 20-0 run that turned a 17-11 deficit into a 31-17 lead in a mere four-and-a-half minutes.
As if changing identities on the fly to open the second half, the Boilermakers scored their first nine field goals of the second half at or around the rim, as Trevion Williams scored the first two baskets for Purdue after halftime and Zach Edey finished with 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting, 15 of those points coming in the final 20 minutes.
Edey said Nicholls didn't double off dangerous shooters as much after halftime, but more went into his success.
"I got some deeper touches and just was able to catch the ball and dunk it a few times. It's hard to double when you do that," he said.
Purdue wound up with a season-high 104 points, thanks to 57-plus-percent shooting and a 14-of-29 clip from three-point range.
Jaden Ivey scored 19, Isaiah Thompson 15, Sasha Stefanovic 14 and Mason Gillis 10.
The Boilermakers did need the cushion.
Nicholls actually won the second half, scoring 54 points to Purdue's 49.
High-scoring guard Ty Gordon made nine threes on 15 tries and finished with 29 points, while big man Ryghe Lyons scored 20. Lyons was 3-for-3 from three-point range; he was 0-for-9 this season prior.
It was the most points Purdue had allowed since the 2019 NCAA Tournament, a 99-94 overtime win over Tennessee. It's the most points the Boilermakers have allowed in a regulation game since a 99-68 loss to Kansas in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
"The thing I just asked our team was, 'If the ball's not going in for us, how does this game unfold?'" Coach Matt Painter said afterward. "You probably lose that game."
The ball did go in, though.
A lot.
Nevertheless, Purdue knows defensive improvement is a must.
"It's kind of hard when you score over a hundred and probably could have scored more, and they shoot like that," Isaiah Thompson said. "... We just want to continue to build on things offensively and defensively heading into Big Ten play."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Purdue's 20-point burst mid-first half was one of its most dominant stretches of the season, at both ends of the floor.
After Ty Gordon's three put Nicholls up six, Brandon Newman wasted no time impacting the game, making back to back threes, bracketing a Zach Edey and-one. After a Sasha Stefanovic three, Trevion Williams made one of two free throws, and then Thompson made a pair at the stripe, then scored on a backcut, triggering a stretch in which he scored 10 points in around four times.
After Nicholls, the worst foul shooting team in the country, missed two free throws, Mason Gillis canned a three.
Purdue wound up outscoring Nicholls 41-13 over the stretch the pushed the Boilermaker lead to 22 late in the half.
The Colonels, raining threes, got within 15 in the second half, but fell a shot or two short of making another Mackey Arena sell-out crowd squirm a bit. Thompson and Gillis made important threes to help make sure Nicholls stayed at arm's length.
| Key Sequence | Player of the Game | Stat of the Game |
|---|---|---|
|
The 20-0 first half Boilermaker run decided the game, obviously. That was a blazing offensive run by the Boilermakers but also Nicholls' coldest stretch offensively, and one in which Purdue didn't allow many second chances. |
You can pick any number of players from a game with five double-digit scorers and two high-volume assist guys, but let's go with Isaiah Thompson, whose 15 points both helped Purdue separate, but then put It away, too. He scored five straight after Nicholls got within 15. |
The two teams combined to shoot 30-of-64 from three-point range, which was really a sight to behold. This game never became that 30-point romp, though, not because of Nicholls' shooting, but because the Colonels got 24 second-chance points off a great rebounding team. |
WHAT IT MEANS
Purdue's a great offensive team.
Purdue's not a great defensive team, and may just have to do the best it can with that part of it all season.
The Boilermakers won all their non-conference games, which is something that should be celebrated, but this one was not relevant context for what lies ahead now that Big Ten resumes.
It's great for Purdue that it showed it can win a shootout with ease, but chances are the Boilermakers and Wisconsin aren't going to combine for 194 points.
Things change now, and Purdue must keep tightening up the things that win Big Ten games, namely defense and rebounding.
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