Gophers run into buzzsaw No. 4 Boilermakers 88-73

By: Tony Liebert |
Feb. 2, 2021: Purdue flexed its No. 4 ranked muscles Wednesday taking down the Golden Gophers 88-73

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Full Game Recap:

  • First Half: Ben Johnson decided to attack Purdue’s big man tandem with Eric Curry on the bench to start the game for the Gophers. It did not pay off, as Zach Edey added seven quick points, while Charlie Daniels tallied three quick fouls. Purdue led 14-10 heading into the first media timeout. The Gophers didn’t go away and kept fighting to a 18-14 deficit with about 12 minutes to go in the half. Purdue then began to flex its muscles, with its guards doing to work and extending out to a 30-19 lead with 7:42 to go in the half. It continued tough for the Gophers; Purdue only extended its lead thanks to a big first half from junior guard Eric Hunter Jr. who led the game with 12 points. Just when it looked like the Gophers would go into halftime with some momentum, Jaden Ivey hit a three at the buzzer and Purdue took a 51-36 lead into halftime.

  • Second Half: Like the Ben Johnson led Gophers have grown to do, they were not going down without a fight. They were able to cut Purdue’s lead down to 13 at the first media timeout of the half. Treyton Thompson entered the game at the 14 minute mark for his first action. His presence alone completely changed the energy of the game, as the Gophers instantly went on a 7-0 lead and trailed by only 7 with 11:23 to go. Right when it looked like the Gophers were back in the game, Thompson picked up two quick fouls, brining his total to four joining Curry and Daniels all at four fouls for the game, proving how much issues Zach Edey was giving the Gophers. Purdue re-grew its lead to 79-62 with six minutes to. Minnesota responded once again cutting the deficit to 10 with about four minutes to go. Purdue flexed it muscles one final time and came out on top 88-73.

Instant Reaction & Takeaways:

My biggest takeaway from this game is that Purdue is a very, very good basketball team. It was obvious that the Gophers were gonna need a near flawless performance to pull off the upset, but the inverse happened and Purdue were the ones who played a complete basketball game. I can count on one hand the amount of teams in college basketball that could’ve beaten the Boilermakers tonight.
This was the second time this season, where it really never seemed like the Gophers had any chance of winning, the first coming earlier in the season against Illinois. When this Gophers team plays against other teams with the capabilities of making a final four it will always be a tall task. Jamison Battle, Payton Willis and really everyone played well, but when Charlie Daniels looked like he was seeing ghosts three minutes into the game, I knew it was going to be a long night.
Those were my thoughts at halftime, most of which are still very true, but it was great to see this team never go away. Once Treyton Thompson made it to the floor there was a different injury. His defensive ability might hinder his ability to see serious minutes this season, but his energy on offense needs to be a serious part of this team going forward. Minnesota really out-played Purdue in the second half, and the Boilermakers still won by 17, really proving how talented of a team they are.

What is Next?:

The Gophers will not travel to Iowa City, for Sunday matchup with the Hawkeyes in a little over three days. Now on a three game losing streak, a win over a rival Iowa could really spark some excitement down the stretch of the season for the Gophers in Ben Johnson‘s first season. I think the rest of this season will be about seeing moments. The fight of this team in the second half was more proof of the culture that has already been built. A few more wins and continued fight, will be huge for this team heading into next season, when Johnson has a roster more equipped to compete in the Big Ten.

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