Purdue was considered the heavy favorite to win the Big Ten title entering the 2021-22 college basketball season. And the Gophers were the consensus to finish last in the conference.
Purdue men's basketball beats Gophers 88-73 behind strong inside-outside combo
The Gophers were as healthy as they've been on their home court in more than a month, but that depth wasn't enough to slow down one of the nation's deepest teams.
February 3, 2022 at 12:28PM
The Boilermakers are practically two deep at every position, feature top NBA prospects, and more size than pro teams.
Then there's first-year coach Ben Johnson's Gophers, who lack depth across the board, are undersized and not loaded with players scouts are flocking to see, but they won't back down from anyone.
Everything about the first matchup this season between the projected first- and last-place teams in the Big Ten screamed embarrassing blowout. But the Gophers matched No. 4 Purdue's scoring during a stretch in the second half until they couldn't hang anymore with an offensive juggernaut in an 88-73 loss at Williams Arena.
"Our guys have proven in stretches that we can compete with anyone in our league," Johnson said. "Now the challenge is can we do it for longer stretches of time and get back to doing it, so it produces wins? I know they're hungry to get there."
The Gophers (11-8, 2-8 Big Ten), who lost for the seventh time in the past eight games, were led by Payton Willis with 24 points and 10 assists. Jamison Battle added 21 points.
They shot 11-for-22 from three-point range and only had five turnovers in the game, but that wasn't enough to keep up with one of the deepest and most explosive teams in the nation.
The Boilermakers (19-3, 8-3), who shot 60% in the first half, leaned on the formidable inside-outside tandem of Zach Edey and Jaden Ivey, but four starters combined for 70 points, 27 rebounds, and 11 of the team's 12 three-pointers.
"They're a good team, a talented team," Willis said. "They've obviously got some huge guys inside and some wings who can shoot the ball really well."
Ivey's two free throws made it a 59-41 lead with just under 18 minutes left, but the Gophers wouldn't allow the Boilermakers to pull away.
Dealing with foul trouble for most of the game defending the 7-4, 295-pound Edey, Minnesota's big men Eric Curry, Charlie Daniels and Treyton Thompson all finished with four fouls on the night.
But Thompson provided a spark when he entered the game for the first time in the second half. The 7-foot freshman capped a 15-4 run with a three-pointer and a layup to cut it to 63-56 with 11:37 remaining.
The Gophers weren't able to close the gap anymore, but the second-half rally was reminiscent of other home losses where they made it competitive instead of a complete collapse.
In their Big Ten opening 75-67 loss Dec. 8 against Michigan State, the Gophers nearly overcame a 19-point deficit in the second half.
Iowa lost a 23-point lead in the second half against the Gophers on Jan. 16, but the Hawkeyes managed to escape with a 10-point win.
The reoccurring theme for Johnson's squad has been the inability to rebound consistently and score easy baskets inside the arc. The Boilermakers won the rebounding battle 39-23 and outscored Minnesota 40-20 in the paint.
Up next is a rematch Sunday against the Hawkeyes. The Gophers hope the confidence offensively they had against a top-tier Big Ten opponent will carry over with a better all-around effort to help them bounce back.
"You got guys who are making shots," Battle said. "A lot of teams in this league are big and have a lot of size on us, but I think we have a lot of heart on this team. I think with that heart we're going to keep going and keep fighting. We're never going to look at the score and be like 'we're out of this game.' "
No. 3 Michigan State scored the final four goals and rallied past top-ranked Minnesota for a 5-3 victory.
