NASSAU, Bahamas — Purdue men’s basketball rattled and romped over a top-15 opponent with Friday’s 86-56 victory over Texas Tech in the finals of the Baha Mar Championship.
The No. 1 Boilermakers led by as much as 32 while containing All-American JT Toppin. Purdue won its fifth consecutive multi-team event and 12th straight game in those tournaments behind six players in double figures.
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Here’s what I liked and disliked, and what the Boilers’ win means.
What I liked in Purdue basketball’s win vs Texas Tech
That was the defensive performance Purdue had been working toward through these first several games.
The Boilermakers took command with a 20-0 run, an avalanche, late in the first half and made 10 consecutive field goals going into halftime. Yet that stretch was keyed just as much by swarming ball pressure which contributed to four Texas Tech turnovers in the final seven minutes and change of the half.
Purdue threw size at JT Toppin, and the game was well into the second half while the All-American was stuck on five points on 2 of 7 shooting.
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∙ C.J. Cox carried over from his second-half performance in Thursday’s semifinal victory over Memphis. He scored 10 points in his first 12 minutes Friday and served as a confident catalyst early on.
∙ National Player of the Year voters received a point of comparison to reference again in a few months. Braden Smith scored 10 points with seven assists, took a charge and hit a 3 in the final seconds of the first half. And his team won in a blowout. Toppin needed 13 shots to score 15 points and while he grabbed seven rebounds he also was tagged with a flagrant foul.
Insider: Once Purdue steadied itself, it pulled away from Memphis into Baha Mar title game
What I disliked in Purdue basketball’s win vs TTU
Trey Kaufman-Renn got quite foul-happy on the island. His fourth came with 13:24 to play. Not sure if two games makes a trend, but he’ll obviously need to find a way to play thee physical games without watching long stretches with foul issues.
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∙ Several opponents have been able to maximize their opportunities on the offensive boards. Texas Tech turned nine offensive rebounds into 12 points. But yeah this is a nit-pick as Purdue dominated the rebounds overall (43-25).
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What Purdue basketball’s win vs Texas Tech means
This wasn’t a road win, so that probably prevents it from being the same level of statement victory as the trip to then-top 10 Alabama. Still, Purdue left no doubt and owned this game quickly and completely. These are the wins No. 1 NCAA tournament seeds are made of. More importantly, it may start establishing a defensive identity.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue basketball score today vs Texas Tech, game stats, likes, dislikes
