Basketball
Purdue looked like a team that had missed being on the basketball court on Monday night. The fifth-ranked Boilermakers clobbered Kent State 101-60 to improve to 12-1 on the season and conclude non-conference play.
Jack Benter led the Boilers in scoring with 20 points, shooting 7-of-7 from the floor, but more on him later. Purdue also got 19 points from Fletcher Loyer, 15 points and 12 rebounds from Trey Kaufman-Renn, 12 points and 8 assists from Braden Smith, and 11 points from Daniel Jacobsen.
Here are a few quick thoughts on Purdue’s big win over Kent State on Monday.
No holiday hangover
In the first two minutes, you might have thought that Purdue acquired a little rust with nine days between games. But the Boilermakers were able to kick that off quickly. Within the first nine minutes, Purdue jumped out to an 11-point lead and held a 51-27 advantage at the break.
Purdue shot 56% from the floor and knocked down 12 three-pointers in the win. It was also 17-of-19 from the free-throw line and won the rebounding battle 40-28. Those numbers, along with holding Kent State to just 34% from the field and forcing 15 turnovers, were a recipe for success.
Jack Benter minutes
There may not be a player on Purdue’s roster who takes advantage of his minutes more than the redshirt freshman. Benter was on fire again Monday night, scoring a game-high 20 points and knocking down all seven of his shots from the floor, which included going 6-of-6 from three-point range.
It was the second straight game in which Benter was perfect from the floor. In Purdue’s 88-60 victory over Auburn in the Indy Classic, he went 4-of-4 from the field, which included a trio of triples. He has now made 10 straight three-point baskets, dating back to Purdue’s 79-59 win over Marquette.
Along with 20 points, Benter also had five rebounds and an assist.
60 is the magic number
Everyone always wants to talk about Purdue’s offense, and for good reason. The Boilermakers continue to score points at a high and efficient rate. But what’s been most impressive since the Iowa State loss has been the work on the defensive end.
Purdue has held each of its last four opponents to 60 points or fewer. It’s no surprise the Boilermakers are 4-0 in that stretch and have an average margin of victory of 29.3 points per game. Three of those opponents play at the high-major level.
Are the Boilers a finished product defensively? No. But these last four games have proven that Purdue has the defensive ability necessary to win big games in the Big Ten.
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PURDUE-KENT STATE GAME BLOG: No. 5 Purdue will host Kent State to close out non-conference play on Monday. Follow along with our live game blog for updates throughout the evening. CLICK HERE
Read More Dustin Schutte