Turning into the home stretch of their season, the No. 24 Purdue Boilermakers stumbled. Unranked Minnesota pulled out a 71-68 win Thursday night.
Down 69-68, after Gophers junior Marcus Carr banked a three-pointer with 14 seconds left, Purdue (13-8, 8-6 in the Big Ten) had the ball for a final opportunity to win the game. Seven seconds into that possession, Boilermakers forward Trevion Williams was whistled for traveling under the basket, an objectionable call after television replay was seen.
Then, with no choice but to foul Gopher junior Gabe Kalscheur on the inbounds play, he sealed the win with a pair of free throws.
“We allowed it to be close, and that's what can happen in a close game,” said coach Matt Painter following the contest, “We have to be better (to win close games). We have to be one possession better.”
The Gophers outscored the Boilermakers, 12-4, in the last 1:49 of the game. Carr scored eight of those 12 points.
Close games are not out of the ordinary for these two opponents. In the last 15 meetings, ten have been decided by four points or less.
Despite the controversial traveling call in the game’s waning moments, Williams finished with 24 points and ten rebounds for his ninth double-double of the year.
With the win, Minnesota (13-7, 6-7) picked up its fifth win at home against a ranked opponent.
The Boilermakers led for the majority of the game but never by more than six in an affair that featured eight ties and seven lead changes. Purdue carried a two point advantage at halftime, 32-30. In the second half, the Boilers did not trail until Carr hit what turned out to be the game-winning three-pointer at the end.
With five games remaining before the Big Ten tournament, Purdue hosts the uncharacteristically struggling Michigan State Spartans next Tuesday in Mackey Arena.
