For the Purdue basketball team, this week is all about seeking revenge.
After Saturday, they have one down and one to go.
The 10-1 Boilermakers never trailed in their 79-59 victory over the Marquette Golden Eagles at Mackey Arena on Saturday, and it was a fitting form of payback for Purdue. The Golden Eagles defeated the Boilermakers last season, 76-58, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on November 19, 2024.
Oscar Cluff enjoyed his finest game in a Boilermaker uniform, scoring 22 points and grabbing 11 rebounds; both were team highs. Fletcher Loyer drained four three-point baskets, and Braden Smith handed out ten assists in the lopsided win.
Purdue will get a chance to exorcise another demon from last season in their next outing when they face the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, December 20, in Indianapolis. The Tigers routed the Boilers, 87-69, last December on their home court.
Smith drained a three-pointer on the game’s first possession and assisted on a C.J. Cox bucket on the next, giving Purdue a 5-0 lead. After Marquette cut the lead to one at 9-8 with 13:49 to go in the half, the Boilermakers reeled off 12 straight points over the next four and a half minutes.
Purdue stretched their first-half lead to as much as 18 before settling for a 37-21 advantage at the break. During the first half, the Boilers doubled up Marquette on the glass and held a 22-11 rebounding advantage.
No player from either team registered double-digit point totals in the opening half, but the Boilermakers shot the ball much better than the Golden Eagles during the first 20 minutes. Purdue made 15 of their 29 first-half shots for a 52% mark, but Marquette could not find its footing, shooting just 31% (9-for-29) during that stretch.
The lead for the Boilermakers ballooned to 23 over the first nine minutes of the second half, thanks to hitting on nine of their first 15 shots after the break. Cluff scored 13 of his points over this span.
When Omer Mayer converted on two free throws with just under four minutes remaining, Purdue held its largest lead of the game, 77-47. With the game well in hand, coach Matt Painter emptied the Boilermaker bench before settling for the 20-point margin of victory.
Following the game, Painter explained how Cluff is developing just as he had hoped after bringing in the Australian center from the transfer portal.
“You’re starting to see a little bit more offense, but his (Cluff’s) usage level with us is less than it was last year, to his defense,” he said. “In the second half, he just kept scoring down there. It really put them in a bind, and they had to change what they were doing.”
Cluff’s teammates are also enjoying his big-man presence this season because less attention is spent on the Boilermakers’ talented backcourt.
“For us to get them the ball and how talented they are down low, it makes our job so much easier,” explained Smith, “but it makes their (the opponent’s) job so much harder because they can’t do everything.”
Smith went on to say that Cluff is fitting in just fine with their championship aspirations this season.
“I’d like to assume that’s probably why he chose to come here,” he said, “because he understands our culture is so special, and the group that we have is so special.”
Winning 10 of their first 11 games has Purdue and its loyal fans giddy with excitement over what they all hope culminates in a championship during March Madness. Their schedule has tested them early and often, and they should be battle-tested come March.
The road to the Final Four is not yet smooth for the Boilermakerss as they take on Auburn this Saturday at 6:30 pm EST. The Tigers are currently 8-3 and ranked #21 in the country. While this will not technically be a home game for Purdue, they will have plenty of black and gold in the stands inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
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