IOWA CITY, Iowa — C.J. Cox’s fourth long pass of the second half extended the Purdue men’s basketball lead at Iowa State and Jikari Harris sprinted onto the court with three fingers in the air.
The Boilermakers’ second-year backs haven’t always played together. They essentially share a spot in the nine-man rotation. Still, their catalytic performance in Saturday’s 78-57 win over the Hawkeyes was worth the extra effort.
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Cox and Harris combined for 28 points and played a big role in a tough defensive day. They took turns taking the lead in their respective offenses, which has led Purdue to its fourth straight victory.
Those performances have helped Purdue maintain its momentum heading into Tuesday’s battle with Big Ten-leading Michigan.
Harris also contributed 3 steals, and Cox also contributed 1. Neither of them made any mistakes. They have turned the ball over three times total in 15 Big Ten games. When consistency meets scoring peak, Purdue’s most complete brand of basketball ensues.
“When you have guys that can shoot, can defend and can play that role, it really balances our entire team,” Purdue head coach Matt Painter said.
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Purdue’s defense boosts offense, CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris also provide help
Another big catalyst for Purdue on Saturday was its team defense, which powered the offense as well as any game in recent memory.
Harris embodied that energy with the biggest highlight of the night.
With the game tied at 7-7, Oscar Cluff knocked down Tavion Banks’ layup in the air. Braden Smith grabbed the loose ball and led a breakaway on one side of the court. Harris heads the opponent in front of the ball.
Smith hit him with ease – one of whom dished out 12 assists – and Harris dunked on a foul shot. You could call it the game winner because Purdue led the rest of the way.
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“I passed out after that,” Harris said. “I was so excited. I was surprised I made the free throw. I was going crazy.”
Bennett Stirtz replicated the 19 points he scored in the first game, albeit scoring 10 in the final 8 minutes, 11 seconds. Cox and Harris took turns guarding the starting guard, who had scored 30 or more points in three of the previous four games.
More importantly, Purdue as a team has avoided the tendency to over-help that nearly caused other Hawkeyes to pull off an upset at Mackey Arena a month ago.
Iowa State shot just 28.6% in the first half. Banks, Kyle Coombs and Tate Sage combined to shoot 9-for-12 from Mackey Arena but went 0-for-3 from behind the foul line on Saturday.
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“We kind of went overboard with Bennett Stietz,” Painter said of the first meeting. “What he’s done in the last 8-10 Big Ten games doesn’t happen very often. To say he’s a productive player is an understatement.
“From our perspective, we didn’t go too far on him this time,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “We guard him, we attack him, but we really want to keep some ball coverage stuff.”
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Purdue’s 40 percent 3-point shooting played a big role in a 1.393 points-per-possession night. The same goes for consistently attacking Iowa’s defense, which can’t position itself without shooting.
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How CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris each sparked game-changing waves
Cox drew attention to Stietz with two quick fouls. That led to Harris coming off the bench earlier than usual.
In his first offensive possession, he hit a three-pointer from the top of the key. Less than 90 seconds later, the 2-1 dunk came. He took several hits to the chest before walking to the free throw line.
Harris scored 12 points in the first half, tying a career high. In the second quarter, he scored with a single basket.
It was the fifth time this season that Harris scored more than 11 points. Four of the performances took place at Mackey Arena. He shot 16.1% from three-point range at McGee Arena and 48.6% on the road.
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He averaged 3.8 points per game at home and nearly double that (6.9 points) on the opposing team.
“That’s when you need them, isn’t it?” said the painter.
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Harris’ best guess for a home split follows the same logic.
“Maybe leave, I feel like everyone is against you,” Harris said. “There’s a lot of spectators here, so it feels better if you shoot. Compared to at home, if you miss a shot, you’re letting everyone down.”
Cox still started the second half and quickly made up for the rest. He hit four three-pointers in four minutes, during which the Boilers’ lead expanded from 14 to 25 points.
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The previous two games — a 68-64 win over Oregon and an 81-78 overtime victory over No. 8 Nebraska — featured some of Purdue’s best ball movement this year.
That continued into Saturday, and it was necessary because Iowa State is known for its opponents’ mistakes. Purdue allowed just four points off turnovers and moved the ball inside enough to keep its inside-out action in sync. Oscar Cluff sent out three assists early.
Unlike the previous two times, Purdue also kept its good looks out of the 3. Cox and Harris combined for 7-for-15.
“We were playing really well and that’s why he was able to get open shots and I was able to get open shots late in the game,” Cox said.
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This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: Purdue basketball: Jikari Harris, C.J. Cox lead Iowa defense, offense