Bashed by Boilermakers: Rutgers men's basketball blown out by Purdue
The Rutgers men's basketball team suffered a 96-68 blowout loss to Purdue on Thursday night. The Scarlet Knights (14-12, 6-9) surrendered 96 points — the most they have allowed in regulation under head coach Steve Pikiell.
Before the game, it was announced that senior forward Mawot Mag was unavailable to play, and without Mag, the Boilermakers (24-3, 13-3) got off to a fast start on offense and never looked back. Rutgers was able to hang tough with No. 3 Purdue at first and only trailed 28-22 10 minutes into the game, but the Boilermakers began to pull away after the second media timeout.
Purdue's sharp passing helped it generate open looks for both Zach Edey in the paint and its guards from beyond the arc. With 4 minutes remaining in the first half, the Boilermakers' lead ballooned up to 16 points.
The final 4 minutes of the first half saw Purdue continue to grow its lead as the Knights' offense dwindled, and the Boilermakers took a 52-33 lead into halftime.
Purdue scored 1.58 points per possession and scored on 69.7 percent of its possessions in the first half. The Boilermakers were scorching hot and shot 63 percent from the field, 58.3 percent from beyond the arc and 91.7 percent from the free throw line in the opening 20 minutes. Rutgers shot just 33.3 percent from the field in the first half.
Purdue continued to exert its will on the offensive side of the ball in the second half. The Knights threw many different defensive looks at the Boilermakers, but Purdue had an answer every time. With approximately 12 minutes remaining, the game was officially put out of reach when Mason Gillis nailed a three-pointer to give the Boilermakers a 75-43 lead.
Purdue's offense would slow down slightly in the final 12 minutes, but it would easily coast to a non-competitive 28-point victory. The defeat was tied for Rutgers' fifth-largest margin of defeat under Pikiell.
"If our defense doesn't start traveling, especially in this league, you give up those kind of numbers you can't win," Pikiell said after the game.
The Boilermakers averaged 1.52 points per possession and scored on 65.1 percent of their possessions in the contest. They never trailed in the game.
Edey led all scorers with 25 points, but it was Braden Smith and Camden Heide who took their game to the next level. Smith was in total control throughout the night, serving as Purdue's point guard, and finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Heide scored 18 points and made all seven of his shots.
"I thought their point guard, Braden Smith, was excellent," Pikiell said. "I thought he kind of ran them and got in the lane."
The Boilermakers finished the game shooting an outstanding 58.9 percent from the field, 52.2 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line.
Fifth-year guard Noah Fernandes and freshman guard Gavin Griffiths were the Knights' only standouts. Fernandes finished with 11 points and shot 4-6 from the field. Griffiths scored 7 points but also grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists.
Rutgers will now head back home to try and get a bounce-back win against Maryland on Sunday. The game will tip off at noon and be broadcast on the Big Ten Network and 88.7 WRSU-FM.
"You can't give up 96 points," Pikiell said. "Purdue (was) excellent, obviously, congratulate them. They moved the ball. They were a step ahead of us in every area."
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