Third-ranked Purdue basketball holds off Maryland for sixth-straight victory
WEST LAFAYETTE – After a fast start, Purdue’s offense disappeared in the second half but the third-ranked Boilermakers did enough down the stretch to hold off Maryland 58-55 at Mackey Arena.
The closer-than-expected victory and a six-game winning streak likely pushes Purdue back to the top spot in the polls following losses by No. 1 Houston and No. 2 Kansas. The Boilermakers fell out of the No. 1 ranking after losing to Rutgers earlier this month.
Braden Smith made two free throws with 3.9 seconds left after the Terrapins pulled within 56-55. Smith was 8 of 8 from the the line.
Zach Edey scored 13 of his 24 points in the second half and pulled down 16 rebounds and added two blocked shots.
Purdue becomes the fifth Big Ten team since 2000 to start a season with a 19-1 record.
“Anytime you can get a win in this league you take it,” junior Ethan Morton said. “Long way ago. We’re not a finished product. Hopefully, we can continue to learn from these wins instead of learning from a loss.”
The teams combined to miss their last 15 field goal attempts and the Boilermakers finished 2 of 13 from 3-point range, including 10 straight misses to end the game.
“I think we did a good job of getting them to take a lot of shots they’re not used to taking,” Maryland coach Kevin Willard said. “I think that’s one reason they got so many offensive rebounds. They had some guys in position when they run their offense because it’s so fluid. I thought we did a good job of not letting it be so fluid.”
The Terrapins started the second half on a 7-0 run to pull with 35-28. Maryland closed within three points three times in the final 6:12, including 56-53 with 3:47 to play on Julian Reese’s jumper. Purdue’s eight second-half turnovers allowed Maryland to stay within striking distance.
Purdue made 11 of its first 16 field goals and built a 27-11 lead with 9:14 before halftime and kept leading scorer – Jahmir Young – in check for most of the first 25 minutes. Young missed his first eight attempt before connecting on a short jumper with 14:45 to play. Young was averaging 15.8 points prior to Sunday. Young finished with 10 points on 4 of 18 shooting.
PDF: Purdue-Maryland statistics
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MORTON SHINES
Morton won’t stuff the stat sheet with a bunch of numbers, but one notable block stands out.
With the Terrapins in transition following a steal by Donald Carey, Morton sprinted to the other end and blocked Hakim Heart’s layup attempt off the backboard.
The ball rolled toward the sideline and was last touched by Maryland. Morton’s hustle play allowed the Boilermakers to maintain a 54-49 lead with 4:54 to play.
Morton also tipped the final pass intended for Young, who fired up a long 3-pointer across halfcourt as time expired. He also chased Young around most of the game with his 6-foot-7 frame.
“I should’ve caught it with two hands and ended the game, but I was able to get a hand on it and Young ends up in the right place at the right time and they get a good shot,” Morton said.
“He’s a great player. He’s good at getting downhill. He got some looks I shouldn’t have given him but luckily, I was able to keep him on his toes and that goes back to the scouting report and the coaches and the big fella (Edey) behind me.”
WEARY LEGS
Playing their third game since Monday, the Boilermakers looked like a tired team down the stretch.
Sloppy play. Unforced turnovers. A step slow on defense.
Maybe the quick start where Purdue led by 16 points in the first half and Edey’s dunk at the halftime buzzer stretched the advantage to 14 points was too comfortable.
“When you play three games in a week, now you have to fight that and not have that mental fatigue,” coach Matt Painter said. “You can see where we were dragging a little bit but that’s not an excuse. It’s a basketball game.”
The combination of Maryland’s fullcourt pressure and its ability to change defenses midway through the shot clock forced the Boilermakers to play uphill in the second half.
Purdue committed eight of its 15 turnovers after halftime, the bulk leading to transition opportunities for the Terrapins. Although Smith hit the important free throws to stretch the lead to three points, the turnovers prevented the Boilermakers from enjoying a comfortable advantage in the final minutes.
Edey also struggled to take care of the ball, committing five turnovers.
“I had to adjust through a couple of different things, man and zone, just trying to adjust and figure it out from there,” said Smith, who was 0 of 4 from the field. “Me personally, eliminating the turnovers. It’s my job and I should be better than that.”
FIRST-HALF DEFENSE
Although one of the lasting impressions from Sunday’s win was the struggles in the second half, but the Boilermakers were sharp on the defensive end during the first 20 minutes.
They were active, aggressive, taking away passing lanes and cleaning up Maryland’s missed shots. Combined with the performance at Minnesota, Purdue played a solid 60-minute stretch of defense over the last two games.
The Terrapins missed 19 of 28 shots in the first half, including nine 3-pointers, and credit Purdue’s halfcourt defense for making it difficult to score.
“To start the game we were really active,” Painter said. “I thought we had great activity on the defensive end with hands, making it hard, and not letting them get in the sweet spots in the post. They were good. Our guys were really good. They were flying around.”
Sunday marked the 21st straight game Purdue has held an opponent to 70 points or less.
