Minnesota has an answer for Purdue at every turn

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As Purdue left the floor following Sunday's 91-82 overtime upset loss to Minnesota, in which it was routed to start the game, then for the entirety of the OT, one in which it so often couldn't find answers at either end of the floor, probably wondering how this could have happened.

Not that the 15th-ranked Boilermakers should have been considered invincible on Sunday, even though they'd won their past seven games since the last time they played against a Pitino, but this was something Purdue probably didn't foresee coming.

It certainly didn't see coming a 17-4 deficit less than five minutes into the game.

"We didn't make shots right aways and they came out and made their first eight shots," point guard P.J. Thompson said. "That doesn't happen too often, but I think our competitive spirit could have been a little bit better, our fight."

And the turnover issue that had gone dormant for some time now resurfaced and Minnesota stole 19 points off the Boilermakers' 14 giveaways.

Purdue, which had been starting games generally very well for the bulk of its winning streak, got dropped in a deep hole to start the game.

And then there's Nate Mason. After getting shredded by the Gopher point guard in Minneapolis last season - in a game Purdue won - the Boilermakers had to figure they at least couldn't fare any worse against him.

Nope.

Mason went 31 points and 11 assists and served as the face of a team that had an answer for Purdue at every single turn.

Long after Purdue had pulled itself out of the 13-point hole Minnesota's 8-of-8 start had dug, the Boilermakers led by seven after a 12-0 run early in the second half.

"That was an important stretch for us to get the lead and keep the lead," Matt Painter said. "They answered."

Mason answered.

After the game had been turned on its side by Purdue, indicators suggesting the Boilermakers might pull away on their home floor, Mason made the game a coin flip once again with a bucket to snap Purdue's run and an 0-for-8 shooting stretch for his team. Then, he nailed a three.

New ball game.

Purdue reclaimed the lead on multiple occasions thereafter.

But every single time, Minnesota answered.

With 3:43 left to play, Ryan Cline's three put Purdue up 71-68.

But then Cline turned it over and freshman Amir Coffey drained a transition three to tie the game and Dupree McBrayer scored on a drive to give Minnesota the lead back.

Then, Purdue took quick, ill-advised threes the next two trips. Caleb Swanigan's from the corner was blocked and Vincent Edwards' from up top missed badly. Purdue was down two at the time.

"It's good shooters trying to find what they think is a rhythm at that time," Painter said. "If it goes in, no one questions it. … You always want misses back. If they take a tough one and make it, you're fine with that. We just have to watch tape and learn from this."

Coming out of a timeout down two with about 12 seconds left, Purdue went to Swanigan, whose leaner out of a post-up tied the game at 73 with a little less than five ticks left.

Purdue forced the ball out of Mason's hands on Minnesota's ensuing mad dash for a game-winner, one of the few answers it had all day for the Gopher guard. McBrayer missed a three at the regulation buzzer.

It didn't matter, because as the game started, so did overtime. Minnesota dominated.

"That's just us not being mature about the situation," Swanigan said.

Whatever it was, it wasn't a good look.

With Gopher standout Jordan Murphy fouled out, freshman Eric Curry scored seven overtime points as Minnesota outscored Purdue 18-9 in OT, playing in their second overtime game in as many outings.

Purdue squandered a 28-point, 23-rebound game from Swanigan, his fourth 20-20 game of the season and third in the past four games.

"When you have a special effort like that, it should lead to a win," Painter said. "It's too bad."

Swanigan's productivity aside, this stands as probably Purdue's worst showing of the season at both ends of the floor.

Purdue shot just 40 percent, and the Big Ten's top three-point shooting team was outdone by the Big Ten's top three-point defense. The Boilermakers were just 9-of-28. The 14 turnovers loomed larger, but the 19 points Minnesota scored off them loomed larger.

Isaac Haas scored only six points, took just five shots and turned the ball over four times in the first half. He didn't play in overtime as Painter searched for "the right mix and right (defensive) matchups."

Dakota Mathias handed out 10 assists, but was just 2-of-7 from the floor and committed an uncharacteristic three turnovers.

Carsen Edwards was responsible for one of the game's decisive swings in Purdue's favor, but otherwise was just 3-of-14 from the floor with a pair of turnovers.

Vincent Edwards made some important shots and grabbed some important offensive rebounds for Purdue, but was just 5-of-13 from the floor, 2-of-7 from three.

Purdue shot only 40 percent for the game overall.

Meanwhile, led by Mason's dominance, Minnesota shot 49 percent and turned the ball over just seven times in 45 minutes.

"They got six threes from guys that don't traditionally shoot and make them," Painter said. "… Give them credit, that's what you have to do to be able to win a game on the road. Guys have to be able to step up and do some things they don't normally do."

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