No. 2 Purdue rains 3s on Michigan

Field Level Media|published: Tue 23rd January, 23:25 2024

Jan 23, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Will Tschetter (42) has a shot blocked by Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) during the first half at Mackey Arena. credits: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Lance Jones scored a game-high 24 points and Braden Smith and Zach Edey both notched double-doubles as No. 2 Purdue cruised past visiting Michigan 99-67 on Tuesday in West Lafayette, Ind.

The Boilermakers (18-2, 7-2 Big Ten) relied on a 3-point barrage to blitz the Wolverines, finishing 14-for-21 from beyond the arc. Jones sparked the effort with a 5-for-9 showing from deep, helping Purdue lead by as many as 35 points.

Fletcher Loyer swished a 3 at the halftime buzzer to punctuate a dominant first half in which the Boilermakers committed zero turnovers, putting Purdue well on its way to a fourth straight victory.

Playing without leading scorer Dug McDaniel, who is ineligible for road games due to an academic-related suspension, Michigan (7-12, 2-6) struggled to 33.8 percent shooting. Purdue shot 51.5 percent.

The Wolverines never led and fell behind by double digits on a Smith layup 5:01 into the game. Michigan trailed by 11 at that juncture and trimmed the deficit to eight, but the Wolverines trailed by at least 10 points for the final 32:55 of the game.

Jaelin Llewellyn led the Wolverines with 16 points on 6-for-12 shooting while Terrance Williams II flirted with a double-double, contributing 10 points and eight rebounds. Tarris Reed Jr. grabbed a team-high 10 boards and George Washington III had 10 points.

Smith nearly had a triple-double, finishing with 11 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Edey overcame a slow start and had 16 points and 10 boards.

Purdue showcased its depth during an explosive first half. The Boilermakers shot 47.2 percent, including 7-for-9 from long range, en route to a 49-25 lead at intermission.

While Edey asserted his size under the boards, grabbing seven rebounds in 15 first-half minutes, he scored just six points. Edey didn't register his first points until a putback dunk with 7:47 to go.

Jones led all scorers with 12 first-half points while Smith chipped in nine. Llewellyn paced the Wolverines with 10 points.

The Boilermakers have scored at least 84 points in regulation in four straight Big Ten games for the first time since 1974.

—Field Level Media