Games are never easy when the opposing sideline has a coach like Shaka Smart. Purdue comes to snowy Mackey Arena familiar not only with Marquette, whom it has played the past three seasons, but also with Shaka Smart, who faced Purdue in another school’s NCAA tournament a few years ago. Hats off to the fans who braved snowfall and unprepared streets as teenagers. Despite the harsh conditions, Purdue fans packed McGee Stadium for the final home game before halftime.
John Wooden Memorial Player of the Year (JWPMPOTG): Oscar Clough is the clear winner today. The Australian big man is getting better and better. Marquette had no answer for the big man all game. If he gets the ball, he scores. His partnership with TKR has made them both better on the boards, and that was evident today with his absolutely dominant performance of 22 points and 11 rebounds. He didn’t miss the Hammer and Rails group chat suggested nickname Bloomin’ O, and I love it. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Purdue has gotten off to slow starts the past few times, and this one is no different. After Smith found Loyer for a quick three to start the scoring, the scoring slowed down dramatically as neither team could find a rhythm. Only a few minutes into the game, both sides made four turnovers while testing each other. Three of Purdue’s first four players came from Brayden Smith, who faced intense full-court pressure from the Golden Eagles. Things started to settle down after that, though, and Purdue slowly built a lead instead of relying on 3-pointers. They led just 2-10 deep in the first half, with Fletcher Loyer the only Boilermaker to hit a field goal, but it came from the mid-range game. Purdue led 13-19 on a two-pointer. No Boilermakers reached double digits at halftime, with Loyer leading by nine points on a three-pointer, but Oscar Clough was outstanding. He was 3-3 on the field and 1-1 in the penalty area, scoring a total of seven points. He also grabbed 6 rebounds. Combined with Trey Kaufman-Renn’s eight rebounds, the two combined for 14 rebounds. At halftime, Marquette only had 11 rebounds. As a team. Therefore, Clough and TKR outrebounded Marquette. It’s hard to go against something like that if you’re the Golden Eagles. Purdue went on a 12-0 run early in the first half to extend the lead to 21-8, but Marquette evened the score slightly and Purdue extended its lead further, easily entering halftime at 37-21.
advertise
JWMPOTG was even more dominant in the second half and he absolutely dominated the Golden Eagles. They couldn’t answer him. The Boilers’ big men made Marquette look foolish on possession after possession. For the Boilermakers, the shooting never really happened as they struggled from deep. But Loyer and Jack Bent made timely efforts and continued to extend the Good Guys’ lead to more than 15 points, and then more than 20 points. The Boilermakers’ defensive pressure improved greatly in this game as we saw players on the court being active, focused on rebounding, and staying in position. Marquette’s two leading scorers, Chase Ross and Nigel James Jr., averaged 31.7 points per game in this game, but they only scored 10 points in the end. This is a masterclass in forcing others on the field to beat you. The rest of the Golden Eagles couldn’t find their way around this one.
It’s surprising that I’ve gotten this far in this article without mentioning Brayden Smith’s game in depth. He continues to add new wrinkles to his game, including a mid-range game that has become deadly. His stat sheet today isn’t as eye-popping as it was last time against the Golden Gophers, with no triple-double today, but he still makes his team better every time he plays the ball. Despite some early turnovers and foul trouble, the senior captain finished with seven points, 10 assists and five rebounds. Another beautiful day.
Purdue fans left happy after the game, but no one was in a hurry as the inclement weather kept them inside the warm Mackey Arena until the end. Purdue continued to work hard and sent out its reserves with 1:01 left in the game. The final score at snowy Mackey Arena was Purdue 79 to Marquette 59. The lead peaked at 30 points before Purdue stopped pumping. Overall, the crowd here in Mackey was very satisfied.
