WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue’s defense has shifted from one that hovers around the basket to one that applies extended pressure, and it has given the Boilermakers’ opponents headaches all season. Northwestern was no exception Saturday afternoon.
Purdue forced the Wildcats into 16 turnovers and punished them for almost every one, tallying 31 points off miscues.
“It’s tough to win with 16 turnovers, especially on the road when you might not make as many shots,” NU head coach Bill Carmody said. “To beat that team you need 10 turnovers or less.”
The Boilermakers’ defenders consistently marked Cats players 35-to-40 feet away from the basket, and NU struggled to get into an offensive rhythm without the usual cushion between half court and the perimeter. The Cats ran the court without receiving back-door passes because the offense was stationed farther out than usual.
“I thought our pressure worked really well,” Purdue head coach Gene Keady said. “We denied them that back-door layup.”
Parker has found scoring opportunities off the back door all year because of his speed. But on Saturday the freshman was unable to make a layup and scored just eight points.
Even when the Cats were able to create an open look from the perimeter, they still were unable to find the open cutters.
“Coach said after we closed out on their 3-point shooters to get our hands down in the passing lanes because they have a tendency to run the back door,” Purdue senior Willie Deane said. “If we have our hands in the passing lanes, we can get deflections and things that lead to turnovers.”
SHORT RANGE: Carmody took personal responsibility for the Cats’ shot selection in last Wednesday’s 68-63 loss to Iowa, a game in which the team shot 25 3-pointers.
Against Purdue, the Cats limited themselves to 19 attempts, and many of those came in the game’s final minutes when NU needed points in a hurry.
The Cats took only six shots from beyond the arc in the first half, sinking three. With Purdue denying the Cats back-door opportunities, NU resorted to penetration and post play.
Senior Aaron Jennings and junior Jitim Young adapted best to what the Boilermakers gave them. The pair scored a combined 35 points, mostly from within 10 feet.
Young dropped in a number of acrobatic layups to cap hard drives to the basket. The guard connected on 9 of 12 field goal attempts. Jennings finished with 14 points.
BOXING OUT: The Cats lost the battle on the boards for the second straight game, but their 29-27 deficit in rebounding was far from ugly.
After getting manhandled inside by Iowa — Hawkeyes center Jared Reiner recorded 16 rebounds — center Aaron Jennings finished as NU’s top rebounder against Purdue. Jennings’ seven boards equaled the combined output of the Boilermakers’ starting center and power forward.
With NU controlling the lane, Purdue was reduced to scavenging for boards. Deane, a 6-foot guard, led the team with six rebounds.
