No. 3 Purdue Tops Wisconsin in Dominating Fashion 78-50
#BoilerNotes
• Purdue improved to 18-2 with a 78-50 win over Wisconsin in front of 14,804 fans at Mackey Arena … the 28-point victory was Purdue’s largest in the series since Feb. 7, 1996 (75-42) … the 28-point victory matched Wisconsin’s largest margin of defeat since an 87-57 loss to Maryland on March 17, 2002 (also lost 93-65 to Ohio State on March 6, 2011) … Purdue has won four straight games against Wisconsin.
• Purdue’s 18-2 start is tied for the best 20-game start in school history (1987-88; that team started 24-2).
• Purdue’s 7-0 Big Ten start marks the third time in school history that Purdue has started 7-0 in league play (8-0 in 1989-90; 7-0 in 1987-88).
• Purdue’s 14-game winning streak is now tied for the fifth-longest win streak in school history … it matches the longest winning streak of the Matt Painter era (2009-10; started season 14-0).
• Purdue’s 14-game winning streak is currently tied with Auburn for the nation’s-longest streak (Auburn plays at Alabama on Wednesday).
• Purdue is 17-0 in games played on American soil (1-2 in the Bahamas).
• Purdue’s 18 wins are the most in the country.
• Purdue has won a nation’s-best 11 games by 25 or more points this year.
• Purdue has won consecutive Big Ten games by 28 or more points for the first time since March 4-8, 1969.
• Purdue has won 19 straight home games, the third-longest home winning streak in school history … the 19-game streak is the third longest in the country.
• Purdue’s senior class is now 58-6 in home games … it’s the third-most home wins in school history by a senior class.
• Purdue has won 42 straight games when holding foes to 59 or fewer points … Purdue has held 11 straight foes under 70 points … Purdue has held two straight Big Ten foes to 50 or fewer points for the first time since Feb. 11-14, 2009.
• Over the last two games, opponents are averaging 48.5 points per game and shooting just 34-of-107 (.318) from the field.
• Purdue is now 83-of-175 (.474) from 3-point range over the last seven games after going 14-of-22 (.636) vs. Wisconsin … tonight’s 63.6 percentage (14-of-22) was the second-best 3-point percentage in a single game in school history (min. 20 attempts) … Purdue has made 12 or more 3-pointers in three straight games for the first time since Nov. 11 to 17, 2011.
• Purdue won despite Isaac Haas and Dakota Mathias combining for four points (1-of-10 FGs).
• Carsen Edwards scored 21 points with three assists, two rebounds and a career-high five steals … he is the first Purdue player with five steals in a game since E’Twaun Moore had five against Fort Wayne (Dec. 21, 2010) … he recorded his sixth 20-point game of the season and Purdue is now 30-4 during his career when he scores in double-digits … Edwards needs one point for 700 in his career … over his last three games, Edwards is averaging 18.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 3.7 APG (11 assists, 1 TO) while shooting 11-of-20 (.550) from 3-point range.
• Vincent Edwards tallied his fifth 20-point game with 20 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals … over the last two games, Edwards is averaging 22.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 3.0 APG, while shooting 8-of-12 (.667) from long distance … over the last three games, he is 10-of-14 (.714) from deep … it marked his 15th career 20-point game.
• P.J. Thompson tallied 14 points, two assists and two steals … he went 4-of-5 from long distance and is now shooting 38-of-76 (.500) from long range this year.
• Matt Haarms tallied 10 points, his most since scoring 14 against Tennessee State (Dec. 21) … he blocked five more shots in just 18 minutes, the fourth time this year he has had five blocked shots in a game.
• Dakota Mathias’ streak of 25 straight games with a 3-pointer ended against Wisconsin … he did record a team-high five assists.
• Ryan Cline went 3-of-3 from 3-point range for nine points and two assists … Cline was 2-of-13 from 3-point range in his previous three games.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP)Â No. 3 Purdue keeps it simple.
Move the ball, continue scrapping and share the credit as the wins pile up. Right now, nobody’s executing the plan better than the Boilermakers who proved it again Tuesday night.
Carsen Edwards scored 21 points, Vincent Edwards added 20 and Purdue made 14 3-pointers in 78-50 rout over Wisconsin, their 14th consecutive win with the last two coming by a combined 62 points.
”We were going to play whatever they gave us,” Vincent Edwards said after going 8 of 13 from the field with five rebounds and four assists. ”So if they left Isaac (Haas) 1-on-1, we were going to get the ball to him. If they doubled him, we were going to move it.”
When the Badgers doubled, Purdue (18-2, 7-0 Big Ten) made them pay.
The Boilermakers have tied Auburn for the longest active winning streak in the nation, matched the best 20-game record in school history, won their 19th in a row at home and is 7-0 in conference play for the first time since 1987-88. But they’re not just outscoring opponents.
Purdue, the league’s best 3-point shooting team, also has held 11 consecutive teams to fewer than 70 points.
The key: Not complicating things.
”Our defense has been really improved the whole season and I think we’re getting better game to game,” P.J. Thompson said after scoring 14 points and making four 3s. ”If we can play defense like that, I don’t know too many teams that can beat us.”
Wisconsin found out the hard way.
On the final game of a three-game trip, the Badgers (9-10, 2-4) were not themselves.
They had 15 turnovers in the first half, matching their highest total in an entire game this season, and finished with 20.
Ethan Happ scored 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds but got virtually no help. Nobody else scored more than eight points or made more than two baskets.
”They have so many weapons, so many ways to beat you that if you take one guy away, they have three, four, five other guys that can beat you,” Badgers coach Greg Gard said. ”Those types of teams make you pay when you make mistakes.”
It didn’t take long to figure out.
Purdue made its first four 3-point attempts to jump out to a 12-0 lead.
The Badgers needed more than 7 1/2 minutes to make a basket and by then the Boilermakers were already pouring it on. Purdue made it 36-16 before the Badgers even had a chance to get within 39-22 at the half and then made its first three 3s in the second half.
When Vincent Edwards drove in for a layup with 16:59 to go, the Boilermakers led 50-29 and they put it away with a 10-2 run that made it 62-38.
BIG PICTURE
Wisconsin: It was an atypical performance for the Badgers. They struggled to score, struggled on defense, got into foul trouble, couldn’t grab loose balls and couldn’t take care of the ball. Those have been the staples in Wisconsin for years now. But if they can’t get healthy or can’t find a solution, this could be a long season.
Purdue: The Boilermakers just keep rolling. They went 14 of 22 on 3s Tuesday and have made at least 10 3s in six of their last seven games. Coach Matt Painter insists his team can play better, but it’s hard to fathom.
KEY STATS
Wisconsin: Was outscored 19-6 in points off turnovers and 19-8 in bench points. … The Badgers matched a season-low by allowing the Boilermakers to shoot 63.6 percent on 3s. … Wisconsin is 0-5 against ranked teams this season, each coming from a different conference: Xavier (Big East), Baylor (Big 12), UCLA (Pac-12), Virginia (ACC) and Purdue.
Purdue: Carsen Edwards also had five of the Boilermakers’ 14 steals, a season high for the team. … Matt Haarms finished with 10 points and five blocks. … Haas was 0 for 5 from the field. … Dakota Mathias was 1 of 5 shooting but had five assists. … Purdue is 17-0 on American soil. … The 14-game winning streak is tied for the longest in Painter’s tenure.
UP NEXT
Wisconsin: Faces Illinois on Friday in the Badgers’ first home game since Jan. 2.
Purdue: Heads to Iowa on Saturday.
