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LINCOLN, Neb. — For the first half or so of the Big Ten season, Purdue positioned itself well in the conference's championship hunt with effective and efficient offense.
Since, it’s kept itself in the Big Ten title race with, well, pretty much whatever.
A few days after winning at Indiana on a late tip-in, the No. 15 Boilermakers kept themselves in a first-place tie atop the Big Ten with a 75-72 win at Nebraska made possible by a little of everything, led Purdue’s foremost contributor to that category, Grady Eifert, who left teammates in awe with a putback of Carsen Edwards’ tipped jumper with two minutes left to play.
“It was unbelievable,” teammate Ryan Cline said. “I couldn’t believe it when it went in. I think that play won us the game.”
Might have.
Nebraska had just cut a four-point Purdue lead to one, and lit the Boilermakers’ ensuing offensive possession on fire, as it resulted in Edwards taking a contested jumper in a scramble. It was blocked.
But as loose balls so often do, it found its way into Eifert’s hands.
“I knew the shot clock was winding down so I knew I wasn’t going to be able to come down and gather myself,” Eifert said, “so I just flicked it up there and it was able to roll in."
Eifert twisted his body awkwardly to finish the putback.
“I could see the rim, but then it got blocked off by somebody’s hand," Eifert said. "… I really couldn’t see after I shot it if it went in. But everyone celebrated, and I could tell it went in.”
Added Matt Haarms, “I don’t know how he did it. And he did it twice.”
He did.
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On Purdue’s prior offensive possession, it inbounded with the shot clock running on fumes, after Eifert had kept alive an offensive rebound and kept possession with the Boilermakers.
With the shot clock set to sound, Cline hit Eifert cutting to the rim, and he as much redirected the ball to the rim as he did shoot it. It went in, despite Eifert getting bumped as he shot.
“Those were just toughness plays, being tougher than the other team,” Haarms said. “And being in the right place at the right time.
“Grady exemplifies that on our team.”
That’s what won Purdue this game, and under a reasonable set of circumstances yet to unfold, might have won it a Big Ten title.
This is back-to-back games now, and a trend that extends beyond, that Purdue has won ugly, that it has simply found a way in the highest-leverage moments of close games, with much at stake.
It’s taken on the identity of a team that if it can’t outscore someone like it might have earlier in the season, can win a rockfight, a tightly contested, often ugly, game that might come down to one play here or there.
Purdue keeps making those plays.
“It’s not like we’ve arrived defensively to where we’re a great defensive team,” Matt Painter said, “but we’re a lot better than we used to be.”
And against Nebraska, it was rebounding and free throws.
On the glass, Purdue won big, outrebounding Nebraska in the second half 31-12, and finishing the game with 19 offensive rebounds.
Before Eifert’s back-to-back clutch buckets, Nojel Eastern kept alive the rebound of a Haarms miss, setting up a Haarms score.
With 13 minutes left, Purdue grabbed three offensive rebounds before Ryan Cline made a three to put Purdue up 50-45.
“When shots went up, our guys were very active on the glass,” Painter said, “keeping balls alive, getting some kickout threes and some putbacks.”
And Purdue made its first 19 free throws before finishing 23-of-26.
For those reasons — rebounds, free throws and the fruits of effort — Purdue won despite shooting less than 38 percent, despite a season-best game from Cornhusker guard Glynn Watson (25 points) and despite continued struggles from Carsen Edwards, who made three of his first four shots, then missed his final 12, and finished with five turnovers.
After the game, Haarms, after scoring 17 points, with nine rebounds, and four blocked shots, quoted Mike Tyson, via one of his past coaches, who once said, “Everyone has a plan ’til they get punched in the mouth.”
“There’s always going to be some form of adversity throughout the game, and it’s about how you solve it,” Haarms said. “Good teams solve the adversity, get through it and win the game. I think it’s a really good sign that we’re solving those signs of adversity and fighting through it.”
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