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#BoilerNotes
- Purdue improved to 6-3 with a 62-60 win over No. 23-ranked Maryland in front of 14,242 people at Mackey Arena … the win evened Purdue's record to 1-1 in the Big Ten.
- Purdue is now 10-4 under Matt Painter in Big Ten home openers, having won three straight Big Ten home openers.
- Purdue's 62 points were its fewest in a win since a 61-55 win over Wisconsin on Dec. 29, 2015.
- Purdue held Maryland to 35.1 percent shooting from the field … the Terrapins entered the game shooting 50.4 percent from the field and averaging 80.8 points per game.
- Purdue is now 33-4 at home against Big Ten foes since the start of the 2014-15 season, the league's best record by three games.
- The win snapped a seven-game losing streak to ranked opponents.
- Aaron Wheeler scored a career-high 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting from the field in 21 minutes … over his last two games, he is 9 of 10 from the field and 5 of 6 from 3-point range for 23 points in 37 minutes.
- Carsen Edwards tallied his 29th straight game of 10 or more points with his seventh 20-point game of the season … he is the only player nationally to score at least 19 points in every game played … he has now made a 3-pointer in 19 straight games dating to last year … Edwards surpassed 200 career assists in the victory … Edwards moved into 30th place on the school's career scoring list (1,261 points) and into ninth on the career 3-pointers made list (178).
- Matt Haarms scored 10 points with six rebounds and three blocked shots … Haarms now needs six blocked shots for 100 in his career.
Purdue needed this victory. And, it got it.
This 62-60 win vs. No. 23 Maryland eased the pain of a two-game losing streak (three losses in four games) for a program that still very much is a work in progress as the season dips deeper into December. And maybe more importantly: This win provided the Boilermakers with a big boost of confidence.
There was a sense of urgency as the lights were flipped on inside Mackey Arena tonight. The Boilermakers are in the midst of a potential season-defining five-game stretch that figures to go a long way to shaping the program's NCAA tourney profile. (Yes, it's never too early to think about the Big Dance.) And, this early-season crash course in big games wasn't going well.
The Boilers (6-3 overall; 1-1 Big Ten) were coming off a numbing loss at No. 7 Michigan, which looks like the early favorite in the Big Ten. Before that, Purdue dropped a heart-breaker at No. 15 Florida State when it piddled away a golden opportunity late in the contest. Next up: Maryland, a talented team of athletic jumping jacks that posed myriad problems. Would it be three defeats in a row for the Boilermakers?
Nope.
Matt Painter's team answered the bell on this night inside white-hot Mackey Arena in a game the Boilermakers never wrestled controlled of until late in the second half. Purdue led, 8-7, with 16:16 to go in the first half, and the Boilers wouldn't lead again until Carsen Edwards drained a 3-pointer with 6:55 left in the game to give Purdue a 55-54 advantage it wouldn't relinquish.
There were some tense moments down the stretch, as Purdue struggled to ice this game. How tense? The Boilers didn't hit a field goal over the last 5:18 of the game, settling for three free throws the rest of the way to close out its scoring in this nail-biter. Purdue couldn't relax until Nojel Eastern blocked Anthony Cowan's potential game-winning 3-pointer with two seconds hanging on the clock.
Game over.
Stop me if you've heard this before: Edwards was the star on this night. The junior finished with a game-high 20 points. And hyper Matt Haarms also was productive with 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks.
But the man of the night was Aaron Wheeler. The lithe redshirt freshman provided hints of a breakout earlier this season. He delivered on his promise vs. the Terrapins (7-2; 1-1). Wheeler tallied 15 points with three boards and two blocks. He hit 6-of-7 shots and 3-of-4 3-pointers. Not bad for a kid who entered the night averaging 3.4 points. How big of a future does Wheeler have? Big. He's a smooth 6-9 wing who can play inside and outside while injecting a big dose of athletic ability onto the roster.
This is the time in the story we have to mention the Boilers' slap-your-hands-on-the-floor defense, which was huge on this night. Purdue limited Maryland to 35.1 percent shooting and forced 17 turnovers. The defensive charge was led by Eastern, who forced star Terp guard Anthony Cowan into a 4-of-17 shooting night. Special mention goes to Purdue's post defenders, who limited Terrapin big men Bruno Fernando and Jalen Smith to a combined 16 points.
The heavy lifting continues for Purdue on Sunday when it plays at Texas. After that, the Boilers have a date with Notre Dame in Indianapolis in the Crossroads Classic on December 15.
Until then, savor this sweet victory. Purdue earned it. This upset triumph vs. a Maryland squad that looks every bit the part of an NCAA tourney team will provide Purdue with a large measure of needed swagger as it continues this rugged stretch of games.