Basketball <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Here are a few quick thoughts on Purdue’s big win over Kent State on Monday.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n Along with 20 points, Benter also had five rebounds and an assist.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Get top Boilermakers stories, expert analysis, and can’t-miss moments straight to your inbox for free by signing up for the\u00a0<\/em>Purdue Boilermakers on SI\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/a>newsletter!<\/em><\/p>\n PURDUE-KENT STATE GAME BLOG<\/strong>: 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<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\nJack Benter minutes<\/h2>\n
60 is the magic number<\/h2>\n
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