Daniel Jacobsen erupted for 20 points as Purdue finally snagged their first win of the season Monday night, taking down Illinois State 76-59. It’s been a rough start, losing their opener to then-No. 15 Gonzaga 78-72, then getting stung at home by Valparaiso 83-80 on a double-overtime buzzer-beater. This team desperately needed a decisive win, and they delivered.
Boilermakers Find Their Rhythm and Fire Up From Deep
The Boilermakers looked like a completely different squad out there, especially when it came to their shooting. They went 56.5% from the floor, hitting 26 of 46 attempts. Even better, they finally started sinking shots from long range, draining 8 of 19 three-pointers. That’s a massive improvement, considering they only hit 10 of 49 from deep in their first two games combined. Jacobsen was leading the charge, dropping 10 points in the first half alone. Antione West Jr. chipped in with 17 points, including a crucial three-pointer right before the halftime buzzer that pushed Purdue’s lead to 36-28. Jack Benter added 14 points, and C.J. Cox rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10. They never even trailed once, which is a huge step forward for this team.
Shutting Down The Cardinals’ Hope With A Massive Run
Illinois State tried to make a game of it in the second half. Noah Cleveland hit two free throws that cut Purdue’s lead down to a razor-thin 50-48 with just under nine minutes left. But that’s when the Boilermakers unleashed a brutal 17-0 run, absolutely slamming the door on any comeback hopes. That kind of decisive response is exactly what you want to see from a team trying to find its footing. Illinois State had a few guys battling, with Cleveland and Johnny Kinziger both scoring 12 points, Malik Messina-Moore adding 11, and Demarion Burch getting 10. But once Purdue hit that run, it was over.
Purdue is back home on Friday, taking on Ohio. Can they keep this momentum rolling and make it two in a row? After the start they had, this team needs to stack some Ws and find their groove before things get really real.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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