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(22) Purdue (5-1) at Virginia Tech (4-2)
Poor shooting finally caught up to Purdue in its first loss of the season.
The 22nd-ranked Boilermakers look to get back on track offensively when they visit Virginia Tech as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday night.
Purdue (5-1) averaged 87.0 points and shot 48.3 percent in winning its first four games, but it struggled in a 79-60 win over Southern Illinois in the Chicago Invitational on Friday.
The Boilermakers advanced to the title game of the tournament despite opening with 1-of-13 shooting en route to making 43.9 percent of their attempts. In the championship game Saturday, Purdue was even worse from the field.
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It set season lows with 30.2 percent shooting and a 25.0 mark from 3-point range in falling 65-54 to Richmond. The Boilermakers were 4 of 18 from the field in the first 13 minutes and had eight straight unsuccessful possessions, four ending with turnovers.
“If you throw out strategy in this game and you simply asked who played harder, who was quicker to the ball, who rebounded and looked like they wanted it more, all those answers are Richmond,” coach Matt Painter said. “I told our guys that they didn’t play well (and) that’s what they’ve got to understand. This could have been (even) worse than it was.”
E’Twaun Moore led Purdue with 16 points, while JaJuan Johnson had 13 points and 11 rebounds and reserve John Hart added 12 points. Moore leads the Boilermakers with 20.8 points per game.
Virginia Tech (4-2) also shot poorly in a win to reach the title game of an in-season tournament, making 34.7 percent of its attempts in beating Oklahoma State 56-51 on Friday at the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif.
The Hokies shot 48.8 percent in the championship game Saturday, but UNLV made 53.4 percent of its shots to hand them a 71-59 loss.
Virginia Tech also committed 18 turnovers, shot a season-worst 42.9 percent from the free-throw line and had senior forward Jeff Allen foul out with six minutes to play.
“We can’t play like that,” coach Seth Greenberg said. “If we’re not 9 for 21 at the free-throw line and Jeff has a chance to play at the end of the game, maybe we’re in better shape.”
Allen, who leads the Hokies with 8.2 rebounds per game and is third with an average of 11.0 points, finished with nine points and six boards.
Senior guard Malcolm Delaney tried to pick up the slack with a season-high 30 points, but it wasn’t enough for Virginia Tech.
“We needed more guys contributing,” Greenberg said.
Delaney was named the ACC player of the week and is averaging a conference-best 21.3 points.
Virginia Tech has won both meetings with Purdue, although the teams haven’t met since the Hokies posted a 79-63 home victory Dec. 3, 1966.
The Boilermakers are 3-6 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge games, failing to win on the road. Virginia Tech is 2-3 representing the ACC, which has won 10 of the 11 challenges.
Poor shooting finally caught up to Purdue in its first loss of the season.
The 22nd-ranked Boilermakers look to get back on track offensively when they visit Virginia Tech as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday night.
Purdue (5-1) averaged 87.0 points and shot 48.3 percent in winning its first four games, but it struggled in a 79-60 win over Southern Illinois in the Chicago Invitational on Friday.
The Boilermakers advanced to the title game of the tournament despite opening with 1-of-13 shooting en route to making 43.9 percent of their attempts. In the championship game Saturday, Purdue was even worse from the field.
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It set season lows with 30.2 percent shooting and a 25.0 mark from 3-point range in falling 65-54 to Richmond. The Boilermakers were 4 of 18 from the field in the first 13 minutes and had eight straight unsuccessful possessions, four ending with turnovers.
“If you throw out strategy in this game and you simply asked who played harder, who was quicker to the ball, who rebounded and looked like they wanted it more, all those answers are Richmond,” coach Matt Painter said. “I told our guys that they didn’t play well (and) that’s what they’ve got to understand. This could have been (even) worse than it was.”
E’Twaun Moore led Purdue with 16 points, while JaJuan Johnson had 13 points and 11 rebounds and reserve John Hart added 12 points. Moore leads the Boilermakers with 20.8 points per game.
Virginia Tech (4-2) also shot poorly in a win to reach the title game of an in-season tournament, making 34.7 percent of its attempts in beating Oklahoma State 56-51 on Friday at the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif.
The Hokies shot 48.8 percent in the championship game Saturday, but UNLV made 53.4 percent of its shots to hand them a 71-59 loss.
Virginia Tech also committed 18 turnovers, shot a season-worst 42.9 percent from the free-throw line and had senior forward Jeff Allen foul out with six minutes to play.
“We can’t play like that,” coach Seth Greenberg said. “If we’re not 9 for 21 at the free-throw line and Jeff has a chance to play at the end of the game, maybe we’re in better shape.”
Allen, who leads the Hokies with 8.2 rebounds per game and is third with an average of 11.0 points, finished with nine points and six boards.
Senior guard Malcolm Delaney tried to pick up the slack with a season-high 30 points, but it wasn’t enough for Virginia Tech.
“We needed more guys contributing,” Greenberg said.
Delaney was named the ACC player of the week and is averaging a conference-best 21.3 points.
Virginia Tech has won both meetings with Purdue, although the teams haven’t met since the Hokies posted a 79-63 home victory Dec. 3, 1966.
The Boilermakers are 3-6 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge games, failing to win on the road. Virginia Tech is 2-3 representing the ACC, which has won 10 of the 11 challenges.
