After two wins in two days, Purdue fans and the Boilermakers returned to the United Center as they faced a UCLA team that had Tyler Bilodeau giving Purdue plenty of trouble when the two teams met earlier in the season. If you were there or watching the game at home, you know Wisconsin and Michigan State were strong in Game 1. Can today’s second game live up to people’s expectations?
John Wooden Memorial Player of the Year (JWMPOTG): Oscar Cluff earned this away win. He scored 10 points in the closing seconds for the Boilermakers and was everywhere Purdue needed him. Every loose ball, every rebound, every chance Purdue has in a game can be traced back to Oscar Clough. He finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
Purdue got off to a fast start against the Cornhuskers yesterday, taking a 13-3 lead. Well, in this game, Purdue got the better of it with a 15-2 start, some hot shooting from Cox and Loyer plus some great trades from everyone but Brayden Smith. Smith dished out three assists in the first 3 minutes and 28 seconds, and it looked like Purdue might pull off a dominant victory. But, we are Purdue fans, aren’t we? We know it won’t be easy. After scoring its 15th point with 16:07 left in the half, Purdue scored just four points with 6:10 left in the half for a total of 19 points. That included a scoring drought for the Boilermakers that lasted more than six minutes. So, what did UCLA do during that time? Well, they went on a 15-2 run to tie the game at 17 with 7:06 left. Disaster struck for the Bruins, however, when UCLA star Donovan Dent limped off the floor, sat alone during a timeout and then limped back to the Bruins locker room. He did not return for the rest of the second half, playing only 10 minutes. With both Bilodeau and Dent out, Purdue absolutely had to take advantage, and they did. After 17 draws, Purdue University hit a 17-10 climax. Perhaps the highlight of the round was C.J. Cox chasing the ball near the scorer’s table and passing it to Omar Mayer, who followed with a 3-pointer to give Purdue a 26-7 lead, capping off a 9-0 run. It’s this type of play that helps you win basketball games.
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Purdue then went without Smith and Loyer for a few minutes, I guess for… reasons? But have no fear, because despite UCLA’s four straight field goals, Purdue’s offensive heroes emerged. Injured Jake Bent (wrist) came in and hit two 3-pointers to extend Purdue’s lead to seven points. That included a buzzer-beating shot off another pass from Smith, who dished out his seventh assist of the day. Lead 34-27 at halftime? It’s not huge, but it’s enough to give Purdue some breathing room.
Purdue beat UCLA by 7 points, including 7-3 on the offensive rebounds, but it was a 3-pointer that tied the game in the first half. Purdue shot just 6-for-17 from the field, or 35% from the field, while UCLA shot 4-for-8 from the field, or 50% from the field. The Bruins have low volume but high percentage. That was enough to keep them in the game. Can the Bruins overcome the loss of Bilodeau and Dent with 20 minutes left in the game? Just 20 more minutes of basketball will tell it all.
Purdue started the second half strong, with two quick 3-pointers from Loyer extending Purdue’s lead to 13 points. That would be the high-water mark of the first half, after which things get sloppy, scary, and just a little weird. Purdue couldn’t shake off a UCLA team that was missing two starters as shots simply weren’t falling. With about 8:30 left in the game, Oscar Cluff took a shot, but UCLA was asked to hold the goal. That extended Purdue’s lead to 60-50 and allowed Purdue to regain momentum. Unfortunately for Purdue, UCLA challenged the ruling and it was overturned. Since (apparently) no one was in possession of the ball when the goalie was called, the possession arrow determined that it was UCLA’s ball. This helped UCLA continue a 9-0 run, chasing the score to 58-57. Who else but Oscar Clough scored to break Purdue’s drought. In fact, Clough scored 10 of Purdue’s final 15 points. The Australian product has Purdue fans excited to see him in action this offseason. He’s been a breath of fresh air in this Big Ten Tournament, and his performance today was enough to get Purdue into tomorrow’s championship game.
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Some of the fast hitters inside the United Center:
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After shooting 50% from three-point range in the first half, UCLA went just 3-12 in the second half.
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Purdue outrebounded UCLA by 11 points.
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Smith contributed 9 assists in the game.
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Clough scored 17 and 14 in what might have been the best game of his career.