Nov. 14, 2008
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - E'Twaun Moore scored 18 points, and No. 11 Purdue beat Detroit Mercy 82-50 on Friday night in the season opener for both teams.
Moore was a second-team all-Big Ten selection last season, but Purdue's depth has forced him into a reserve role. He made 6 of 12 shots, including 3 of 4 3-pointers, in 23 minutes.
JaJuan Johnson scored 17 points, and Robbie Hummel added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Boilermakers.
Thomas Kennedy led Mercy with 18 points, and Eulis Stephens added 12 for the Titans.
Purdue held Mercy to 33 percent shooting and forced 20 turnovers while committing just three.
The Boilermakers led by as many as 34 points in the second half.
Purdue returns all of its starters from a team that went 25-9 last season and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. Mercy was coming off a 7-23 season.
It took Mercy more than four minutes to make its first basket, but Purdue's offense started nearly as poorly. The score was tied at 5-all six minutes into the game before Purdue got going. Johnson scored six straight points as the Boilermakers took a 24-13 lead.
Kennedy scored 11 points and made three 3-pointers in the first half, but the rest of the team shot 4-for-18 from the field before the break.
Mercy cut Purdue's lead to 45-31 early in the second half, but the Boilermakers kept their composure and pushed the lead to 56-37 on a 3-pointer by Hummel with 12 minutes to play.
The Boilermakers made a decisive push in the middle of the second half. Moore made two 3-pointers during an 14-3 run that gave Purdue a 70-42 lead with eight minutes to play.
Purdue will play Eastern Michigan on Monday in the NIT Season Tip-Off. The Boilermakers have been awarded the top seed in the tournament, which concludes Nov. 28 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.