Timely 3-point shooting carries No. 2 Purdue past Xavier

The luxury of playing with a double-digit lead didn’t materialize as quickly Monday night as it did in Purdue’s first two games.

In fact, the Boilermakers – who moved up one spot in the latest Associated Press poll to No. 2 – trailed for the first time this season. The deficit lasted a whopping 22 seconds before Matt Painter’s team slowly grabbed control of the matchup against short-handed Xavier.

The Boilermakers’ depth and timely perimeter shooting proved too much for the Musketeers in the second half during a 83-71 victory at Mackey Arena.

Monday was the start of difficult stretch in the nonconference season for Purdue, which faces Gonzaga next week in the Maui Classic in Honolulu. The Boilermakers will face either Tennessee or Syracuse and the third game of the event could feature a matchup against top-ranked Kansas or another Power 5 program.

However, that’s more than a week away and Purdue must win two games to have that opportunity.

More: Analysis | Wrap Video | Stat Blast | Pod | Final Thoughts

For the Boilermakers, Monday was about timely 3-point shooting.

It started in the first half when freshman Myles Colvin made two 3-pointers in the final five minutes, maintaining Purdue’s three-possession lead. In the second half, more opportune 3-pointers were delivered by Caleb Furst, Ethan Morton and Colvin.

Each time the Musketeers made a charge, the Boilermakers stepped up from the 3-point line.

Furst, Morton and Colvin combined to make 5 of 5 from 3-point range and totaled 17 points to keep Xavier from mounting a serious comeback.  

Zach Edey led the Boilermakers (3-0) with 28 points and 11 rebounds. Another solid floor game by Braden Smith, who had 12 points, six rebounds and seven assists and was lethal from the mid-range shooting area. Fletcher Loyer added 11 points.

PDF: Purdue-Xavier statistics

RIGHT SHOTS, RIGHT MOMENT

We’ve seen the Boilermakers bury 3-pointers in volume. They had 16 in the opener against Samford, but Monday night was about when the 3-pointers came.

And there should be some value in what Purdue did Monday going to Hawaii and during the Big Ten season.

“Last year, we kind of collectively lost our confidence,” Painter said. “That’s tough because nobody is trying to do that, and everybody is working and putting in time. That’s what we’ve got to have – you’ve got to have enough guys. I believe we have enough guys to where if someone is struggling, we’ve got other people to pick them up.”

Here’s how important those second-half 3-pointers were from Furst, Morton and Colvin:

• From the top of the key, Furst drained his with 11:29 on the clock, pushing the lead to 58-48.

• Open on the wing, Morton’s 3-pointer with 9:50 to play gave the Boilermakers a 63-52 advantage.

• And Colvin’s third 3-pointer of the night likely sealed the win at the 6:28 mark. It gave Purdue a 71-57 lead.

“It’s not a one-man show,” Xavier coach Sean Miller said. “Other players can shoot. Myles was 3-for-3. Ethan, I love him, but he went 1-for-1 and Caleb Furst went 1-for-1. That’s 5-for-5. If you look at it, those are the 3s you want them to shoot based on the stat sheet.”

NEW ROLES

The trio of Furst, Morton and Colvin are adapting to new roles this season. Colvin was the main scorer at Heritage Christian and now comes of the bench looking to provide a spark.

His two 3-pointers in the first half did just that.

“It’s always important to be locked in when you come off the bench because you’re not going to be loose like the starters,” Colvin said. “You’ve got to be ready for any moment and be impactful anyway I can.”

Same with Furst, who relies on his mindset to prepare the junior to come off the bench. Last season, Furst split time at the power forward and center positions but now he’s giving Edey at rest and allowing the Boilermakers to feature a different dimension when the Fort Wayne native steps outside the lane.

“Realizing I didn’t shoot it great last year, I’m probably going to have more time and space this year, especially the first few games before I can prove I can knock it down consistently,” Furst said. “I’d say trying to be patient with it and not rushing myself.”

The opportunities are going to be there. Opposing teams aren’t going to leave Edey one-on-one a lot this season and the trio – along with others – will have chances to make opponents pay a hefty price.

“We talked about Xavier maybe not guarding some of our guys, kind of backing up and clogging up that paint,” Loyer said. “When (Furst) got that pop 3 and he took it without even blinking twice, it looked good right away. I think it’s the confidence and the amount of work those guys put in to hit those big shots and those timely shots.”

MORE FROM FURST

It wasn’t just the points Furst collected that made the difference Monday.

Add up the four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a strong defensive presence in 13 minutes and Furst certainly was a difference-maker in the victory.

“He rebounded well and had some blocked shots,” Painter said. “Just his versatility more than anything. When he’s detailed oriented and he’s paying attention to details, he’s a good player. That’s when his athleticism comes out.

“He has a good ability to sense things especially with Zach about diving. He can make some hard drives and get dunks and get layups when they give (Zach) too much attention.”