Purdue at Wisconsin | Winning Ugly

On paper, this was a match up between two of the best offenses in the country.

Purdue had the best offense according to Kenpom and Wisconsin leaves with the 9th best offense in the country, but it took a final minute of free throws and fouls to get either team to 70 points.

#2 Purdue went into #6 Wisconsin and showed that it's not just a one person team - Zach Edey was the third-highest scorer for Purdue - and it's not just a team that can win by outscoring an opponent.

Instead, a new addition, and a giant paint stopper, converged on the Badgers to help force an 0-11 from three second half, and 41.5% from the field goal percentage by Wisconsin.

Lance Jones is listed at 6-1.

AJ Storr is 6-7.

The six inches difference didn't hold Jones back from giving Storr one of his most difficult nights of the season. Storr, prone to hero shot taking and often times hero shot making, was 4 of 15 from the floor and spent the final few minutes on the bench as Wisconsin tried to . It was assignment that Jones was given from the jumper. The two transfers battled, but Jones got the better of the taller wing who came in averaging 16.5 points a game.

Storry ended the game with 14 points, but it took 15 to get there and he was a -2 on the floor for 28 minutes.

After Purdue let Northwestern's two shooters, Ty Berry and Boo Buie, go off on them on its own floor earlier this week, it was a good reminder what this team can do defensively when it sticks to its game plan.

"We really wanted to load up on AJ Storr," Painter said after the game.

"I thought Lance was great," Painter would say later.

But Purdue's defense doesn't start at the perimeter.

Purdue doesn't press. Purdue doesn't play for turnovers. It doesn't have the best athletes or the most length on the wing or against guards. But what it does have is a 7-4 Canadian center that erases shots, opposing players' confidence at the rim, and their certainty that closer to the basket is where that driving player wants to be after all.

"When you have a seven footer down there that takes up the whole lane, there's not really much you can do," Lance Jones said with a smile about Zach Edey's presence inside behind him on the defensive end.

Purdue likely had the game wrapped up with a minute to go, but it made sure of it with back to back steals. One by Braden Smith, and one by Lance Jones, but neither happen without the presence of Zach Edey who had Badgers driving, stalling, contemplating what they've done, and then making choices that go against the usual disciplined execution that's marked Greg Gard's squad on the offensive end.

While Tyler Wahl was effective moving Edey around in the post and hitting difficult, acrobatic finishes over the 7-4 Edey, no one else on Wisconsin seemed to have an idea on how to attack him.

Back up big Nolan Winter was 0-3. Steven Crowl was nearly a no show, scoring just three times for 8 points. Chucky Hepburn, Wisconsin's best penetrator, was just 1-6 from the floor.

Zach Edey confirmed what Matt Painter said after his presser. Purdue didn't have its best stuff. It didn't make its shots. It turned the ball over a little too much.

But Purdue still won, and made the winning plays, mostly on defense, that has Purdue on top of the Big Ten conference all by its lonesome. It was an ugly game, but Purdue winning.ugly is a positive after its defense struggled against Northwestern and has generally been behind the defense most the season.

Purdue's offense will rebound, and that's a scary proposition for the rest of the Big Ten if its found its defense in Madison.