Quick Hits: No.2 Purdue Knocks Off No.6 Wisconsin With Big Second Half
MADISON, Wis. – The road to a Big Ten title is now firmly controlled by the Purdue Boilermakers.
No.6 Wisconsin prevented All-American center Zach Edey from taking over, but the second-ranked Boilermakers showed why they are a deeper, stronger team than a year ago in a 75-69 victory at the Kohl Center Sunday afternoon.
Guards Lance Jones (20), Braeden Smith (19), and Fletcher Loyer (13) carried the offense for Purdue (21-2, 10-2 Big Ten), which increased its lead to 1.5 games over Wisconsin (16-6, 8-3) with five weeks remaining in the regular season.
Tyler Wahl had 20 points, seven rebounds, and five assists to lead the Badgers, which shot just 3-for-19 from three-point range (41.5 percent overall) to drop two straight for the first time since November 10-14.
A back-and-forth first half changed six minutes into the second, as Purdue’s 16-8 burst opened the game’s largest lead tor 10. The Boilers hit 7 of their first 9 shots, six coming in the paint, while the Badgers started 1-for-8 on jump shots.
UW closed within three with 9:39 remaining, but Jones hit a three-pointer from the top of the key that stifled momentum. The Badgers got back within two five minutes later after Wahl rebounded his three-point miss for a basket in the paint, cutting the deficit to 59-57, but Jones again quieted the crowd thanks to a layup off an offensive rebound that sparked a 5-0 run.
UW couldn’t get that close again, undone by shooting 36.1 percent in the second half and missing all 11 three-point shots in the second half.
After scoring 30 points in four of the last six games, Edey was held relatively in check by Wahl, Steven Crowl, Nolan Winter, and constant double teams but still finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
A.J. Storr finished with 14 points but was just 4-for-15 from the field. Max Klesmit also reached double figures with 10.
The focus on Edey early caused lapses in UW’s ball screen and dribble penetration defense, as Purdue’s guard trio combined for 25 points in the first half. Smith hurt the Badgers the most off the dribble, scoring 11 in the first 20 minutes for Purdue to take a 34-32 lead at the break.
After scoring a season-low 18 points in the paint at Nebraska, the Badgers posted 20 in the first half, finding success on baseline drives, floaters in the lane and, in Storr’s case, challenging Edey one-on-one.
UW was outrebounded, 20-10, and outscored, 13-4, in second-chance points, but the Badgers ball movement (10 assists on 14 baskets) helped UW take advantage of gaps in Purdue’s zone and man defense, yielding 20 points in the paint.
UW finished with 44 points in the paint but was outrebounded, 42-29, and outscored, 21-14, in second-chance points.
What it means: The Badgers had a chance to add a signature win to their profile and regain first place after Thursday’s blown opportunity in Lincoln. Instead, Wisconsin is going to need to be close to perfect over the next nine games and get some help from Purdue’s opponents if it hopes to claim a share of the conference title. It’s going to be a hard hill to climb.
Star of the game: Wahl did his part for Wisconsin, as his 10 made field goals were a career-high. The problem was that the rest of UW’s starting lineup had 12 total field goals.
Stat of the game: After committing a season-high 16 turnovers in the loss at Nebraska, Wisconsin tied its season-low with five against Purdue.
Reason to be Concerned: Wisconsin’s reserves are averaging 19.0 ppg but have taken a step back over the last four games in the scoring department. UW’s four-man reserve rotation finished with 11 points, making it the third time in the last four games UW scored 11 points or fewer from the bench. That only happened twice in the first 18 games.
Don’t overlook: Crowl entered the week averaging 11.9 points per game, but the junior struggled against two teams with solid post presences, scoring a combined nine points on 3-for-8 shooting.
What’s next: The Badgers prepare for their only two-game conference road trip of the season (and back-to-back road games for the first time in two months) when they start Wednesday at Michigan. A year after underachieving with two first-round NBA picks and Hunter Dickinson, the Wolverines are a mess, having lost five straight and 10 of 11. The Wolverines are 189th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency and have allowed at least 80 points in four of the last five games.
UW is 23-57 all-time in Ann Arbor and hasn’t won at Michigan since 2020, part of its eight-game win streak to clinch a share of the Big Ten title.
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