Grambling State outlasts Montana State to face No. 1 seed Purdue: Takeaways from Dayton

DAYTON—Observations from Wednesday night’s 88-81 overtime victory by Grambling State over Montana State in the First Four.

It’s the Tigers and the Boilermakers on Friday (7:25 p.m., TBS) in Indianapolis.

• When I walked out of UD Arena last year, after watching FDU beat Texas Southern, I thought Purdue would be in for a struggle. The Boilermakers were not just going to blow by FDU, and that part was right. In the end, Purdue would pull away and win. That part was wrong. This year, the feeling isn’t the same. No disrespect to Grambling State, which won the program’s first NCAA tournament game, but it’s hard to see a repeat outcome. The Tigers can cause Purdue some problems – and will – but the Boilermakers can cause more problems, and it’s not just Zach Edey. Purdue can’t mail it in, but after what happened last year, expect a focused and determined group.

• One area to watch – Grambling State’s dribble penetration. The Tigers scored 52 of their 88 points in the paint and rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit with runs of 11-0 and 9-0. They put their head down, went to the rim, and scored. They were 16 of 32 on layups, but they were in the paint throughout the second half, putting pressure on the defense.  That’s Grambling’s game. There wasn’t a 7-foot-4 human in the middle of the lane on Wednesday and there will be Friday. The Tigers will challenge Edey, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Caleb Furst, Mason Gillis, and everyone else. The guards must be strong defensively on the perimeter. It’s up to Purdue to make this team shoot from outside the paint. Grambling didn’t seem comfortable shooting consistent 3-pointers but was 4 of 10.

• Maybe Jimel Cofer gets on a heater and will be unstoppable. The sophomore guard scored 19 points – all in the second half and overtime – to lift the Tigers. In the previous eight games, Cofer scored a combined 20 points. He’s scored in double figures in only two other games this season. Beware of the hot hand.

• One area that has been an issue for the Boilermakers is turnovers and points scored off those turnovers. Credit to Grambling’s defensive pressure, but the Bobcats were careless with the ball. It led to 10 turnovers in the second half and overtime, and the Tigers converted those mistakes into 17 points in the final 25 minutes. Overall, GSU scored 23 points off 12 turnovers, a high conversion rate. We know the problems Purdue has experienced with turnovers in losses. Can’t let the turnovers reach double digits. Expect to see the Tigers pick up the Boilermakers with plenty of pressure.

• Purdue should see ample opportunities from beyond the arc. The Bobcats had numerous open looks from 3-point range. They made 4 of 5 in the last six minutes of the first half and finished 13 of 30. If the 3s are going down, the Boilermakers can run away and hide. But if it’s another 5 of 26 performance like FDU …

• The Tigers outrebounded the Bobcats by 14 because everyone crashed the boards. Boxing out, especially on the perimeter, becomes paramount. There’s enough quickness on the floor that if the box-outs aren’t solid, it will lead to dunks. The 13 offensive rebounds accounted for 19 second-chance points.

• GSU has been tested on the road this season – Colorado, Iowa State, Dayton, Washington State, Drake and Florida. Granted, they were all losses by at least 12 points and as high as 55 in Ames, Iowa. But starting with a Jan. 2 victory over the College of Biblical Sciences, the Tigers are 19-4, including 10-1 in the last 11 games. The only loss during the recent stretch was a double-overtime setback at Alabama State.

• Here’s one thing I didn’t see or hear after the game – trash-talking the Boilermakers. Last year, FDU made a point to punk Purdue in the locker room and send it out on social media. The Knights’ confidence last year was borderline cockiness, but they backed it up and won the game. A lot more respect from the Tigers on Wednesday night. They’ll believe they can win and will take it at Purdue, but they handled their business in a professional way.

“A lot of film tonight,” GSU coach Donte Jackson said. “I haven’t been sleeping much anyway. I might not get much sleep, but it is what it is.”

The Tigers traveled to Indianapolis on Wednesday night after a stop at Chick-fil-A.

• Two players from Indiana on Grambling State are set to play in their home state. Graduate student Jalen Johnson attended Manual High School in Indianapolis, and sophomore guard Mikale Stevenson attended Fort Wayne South. Both transferred into the program.

“We’ve been saying this whole week – we’ve got to get them to Indiana,” sophomore Antwan Bennett said.

• One non-Purdue-Grambling-Montana State observation: As the Tigers were celebrating outside their locker room, Colorado coach Tad Boyle – whose team played in the second game – sat on a table in the hallway and watched the joy and smiles on the players’ faces.

“That’s what it’s all about,” Boyle said.  

–Early betting line – Purdue is favored by 25.5 points – which is two points higher than last year’s opening spread against FDU.