No. 3 Purdue Wins 18th Straight with 75-67 Victory over Maryland
#BoilerNotes
• Purdue improved to 22-2 overall and 11-0 in the Big Ten with a 75-67 win over Maryland … the Boilermakers are now 4-2 all-time against Maryland, having won four straight games with the Terrapins.
• Purdue’s 11-0 league start makes Purdue the third Big Ten team in the last 20 years to start 11-0 (2010-11 Ohio State — 11-0; 2004-05 Illinois — 15-0) … it is the best league start in school history.
• Purdue’s 18-game winning streak is the 12th-longest winning streak in Big Ten history, and a continuing school record … it is the current longest winning streak in the country.
• Purdue has won 13 straight Big Ten games, dating to last year, now the longest streak in school history … Purdue’s last loss in league play came Feb. 25, 2017, at Michigan.
• Purdue has won 21 straight home games, the second-longest home winning streak nationally … it is the third-longest homecourt winning streak in school history.
• Purdue is 52-3 at home over its last 55 home games … with the Paint Crew (student section) in attendance, Purdue is 42-1 over its last 43 games (L – Villanova; Nov. 14, 2016).
• Purdue’s 22 victories are now the most in America.
• Purdue is now 25-4 in league play since the start of last year.
• Purdue is 60-6 at home since the start of the 2014-15 season.
• Purdue has shot at least 44.3 percent from the field in each of the last 16 games.
• Purdue has scored at least 70 points in 16 straight games.
• Purdue’s four turnovers were the fifth-fewest in a game in school history, and fewest since having five against Rutgers on Jan. 18, 2016 … Purdue has just 11 turnovers in the last two games.
• Isaac Haas scored 20 points with nine rebounds in 28 minutes, his 14th career 20-point game … Haas now needs three points for 1,400 in his career … over the last three games, Haas is averaging 23.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
• Vincent Edwards scored eight points with 11 rebounds and five assists in 35 minutes while battling a stomach bug … Edwards was throwing up 15 minutes before tip … Edwards surpassed 700 career rebounds in the victory and needs three points for 1,500 in his career … when he reaches 1,500 points, he will be the second Big Ten player (Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine) in the last 25 years to have 1,500 points, 700 rebounds, 350 assists and 150 3-pointers made … Edwards’ 187 rebounds are one shy of his season-high 188 set as a sophomore.
• Carsen Edwards scored 17 points with three assists and two steals … Edwards went 2-of-4 from long distance and is now shooting 40.7 percent from long range for the season and 43.1 percent in league play … he surpassed 400 points for the season in the victory.
• Dakota Mathias scored 11 points with four assists … Mathias moved past Robbie Hummel into fourth place on the school’s career 3-pointers made list (217) … Mathias now has 990 career points.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) Isaac Haas provided the perfect remedy for No. 3 Purdue’s ills on Wednesday night.
With Vincent Edwards not at 100 percent, the 7-foot-2 center went to work. He repeatedly posted up for baskets, drew fouls on Maryland’s big men and nimbly found teammates to take care of things on the outside. He even delivered the knockout punch in the final minute.
Haas finished with 22 points and nine rebounds, capping the 75-67 win over Maryland with a thunderous dunk that extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 18.
”We just couldn’t guard Haas,” Terrapins coach Mark Turgeon said. ”He’s a beast.”
Right now, it seems nothing can derail these Boilermakers (22-2, 11-0 Big Ten), who are off to their best start in conference play and seem to achieving new milestones every game.
This time, the defending Big Ten champs broke the school record for most consecutive wins in league play with No. 13. They also maintained the nation’s second-longest active home winning streak with No. 21. Only Cincinnati (38) has more.
And they did all of it with Edwards, one of the front-runners for conference player of the year, not feeling well. He struggled through warmups, left for the locker room during the first and looked content doing his part as facilitator. He finished with eight points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
”He’s good in moments like these,” Purdue guard P.J. Thompson said. ”He didn’t have his best shooting game, but he did other things to disrupt the game. He was throwing up 15 minutes before the game, so to come out and do what he did is pretty impressive.”
Haas and Carsen Edwards, meanwhile, had no trouble taking care of the rest.
While Haas went 8 of 14 from the field, Carsen Edwards scored 17 points on a night the Boilermakers led from wire to wire.
Bruno Fernando finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Kevin Huerter added 16 points to lead Maryland (15-9, 4-7), which endured another frustrating night.
The Terrapins missed their first six shots, immediately fell into a 9-0 deficit and spent the rest of the game futilely playing catch-up. They have lost three straight, the last two to top-10 teams.
”We were a little out of it early, turned the ball over and couldn’t find a rhythm,” Turgeon said. ”Part of that was Purdue.”
Maryland did manage to make it interesting by scoring the first five points of the second half to get within six at 35-29.
But every time the Terrapins made a run, the Boilermakers answered – usually with Haas.
It happened again when Huerter knocked down the last of three consecutive 3s with 9:17 to go, cutting the deficit to 55-52. But Haas made two free throws, Thompson made a 3 and Haas threw down a dunk to make it 62-52.
The Terrapins couldn’t get closer than six again.
BIG PICTURE
Maryland: The Terrapins’ showed some grit Wednesday. Despite never leading, never being tied and only making it a one-possession game once in the final 38 minutes, they fought hard enough to cause the nation’s hottest team some anxiety late.
Purdue: The Boilermakers seem to have all the answers. If Haas isn’t dominating the middle, the guards are tearing it up from the perimeter. And if Purdue isn’t shooting well, the defense is. They just continue to get better and deeper.
KEY STATS
Maryland: Missed its first six shots and had 11 of 14 turnovers in the first half. … The Terrapins are 3-6 since a six-game winning streak ended. … Maryland has lost four straight in the series. … Despite being one of the nation’s top rebounding teams, the Terrapins only had a 33-32 edge. … Darryl Morsell had 13 points and nine rebounds. … Anthony Cowan Jr. had 11 points and eight assists.
Purdue: Has only allowed one team, Michigan, to top 70 points since Dec. 3. … The Boilermakers have tied Ohio State for the second-best start in conference play over the last 20 years. Only Illinois, at 15-0 in 2004-05, was better. … Purdue’s shot 44.8 percent from the field and has now shot 44.3 percent or better in 16 consecutive games. … The Boilermakers Finished with four turnovers, tied for fifth-fewest in school history.
UP NEXT
Maryland: Returns home Sunday to face Wisconsin.
Purdue: Will try to extend its seven-game road winning streak Saturday at Rutgers.
