EAST LANSING, Mich. - Carsen Edwards was 3-of-16 shooting.
Ryan Cline was 4-of-12 shooting.
And on it went all night for Purdue, which shot only 31 percent overall and 22 percent from 3-point range in seeing its three-game winning streak end in a 77-59 loss at No. 6 Michigan State on Tuesday.
With the shots clanging, the Boilermakers had little chance to win in one of the toughest environments in the Big Ten against one of the best teams in the nation. No shame in that for a Purdue team that was outmatched against a big and physical Spartan club.
Credit Michigan State, which is famous for playing tough, hard-nosed defense under head coach Tom Izzo. That was on display all night, as the Spartans (14-2 overall, 5-0 Big Ten) frustrated Purdue (9-6 , 2-2) into often taking poor shots from long range. Points and drives in the paint were rare against the MSU front. Bottom line: There was little to no flow to the Boilermaker offense.
Edwards endured perhaps his worst game of the season, finishing with a season-low 11 points and a team-high four turnovers. The junior was only 2-of-13 from 3-point range. The fewest points he had scored in a game this season were 19 points (twice). He entered the game averaging a Big Ten-high 25.5 points.
One player who did excel: freshman Trevion Williams. The big fella continues to develop,working well against a tough and physical MSU front line led by Nick Ward. Williams, playing back in the state where he played prep ball, finished with a double-double, tallying 13 points with 12 rebounds - both game highs for Purdue and season bests for Williams. Purdue needed that production with second-leading scorer Cline finishing with just 12 points and going 4-of-10 from 3-point land.
Purdue succumbed to Michigan State's defensive pressure throughout the game. The Boilermakers found driving lanes to the basket squeezed. And too often, Purdue's offense amounted to way-too-far-out 3-point attempts (7-of-31). When the Boilermakers hit the locker room at halftime, they trailed 39-26, shooting just 31 percent in the opening 20 minutes. That set the tone for what was a methodical game and classic grind-it-out Michigan State win, as the Spartans outscored Purdue 34-24 in the paint.
Things won't get easier for the Boilermakers when they play at Wisconsin on Friday at 9 p.m. ET.