The Badgers undefeated home record came to an end Thursday night, as the Purdue Boilermakers defeated Wisconsin 75-67.
It was an uncharacteristic performance for the Badgers under head coach Robin Pingeton, as Wisconsin played sloppily in both halves. Players were slow to the ball, and Wisconsin shot poorly from 3-point land.
Both the Badgers and Boilermakers struggled to find their footing after the opening tip, as no points were scored in the first two minutes of the game. Once Purdue saw one go through the net however, they continued their offensive momentum throughout the quarter.
Wisconsin on the other hand, continued to struggle against Purdue’s defense, looking rushed on various shots. The Boilermakers took an early advantage, which they held the rest of the quarter, leading 18-9 going into the second quarter.
The Badgers looked much better during the second quarter, moving the ball and finding open shots against Purdue's defense. Wisconsin also started to look stronger defensively, with Purdue only shooting 27.8% from the field, holding the Boilermakers to 12 points in the second quarter.
As the Badgers inched closer, Wisconsin relied on the 3-point shot for sustained offense. With 53 seconds remaining in the quarter, junior guard Kyrah Daniels drained a contested 3-pointer that brought Wisconsin within one point of Purdue at 30-29 going into halftime.
Purdue came out of the half and seemed to find their magic touch, catching fire from behind the arc. The Boilermakers went 83.3% from 3 in the quarter, leaving the Badgers helpless to their shooting ability. The Badgers stayed consistent with their game plan despite the 3-point barrage from Purdue, continuing to play with constant movement and quick transitions. With two minutes left in the quarter, two key 3-pointers came from guards Destiny Howell and Ronnie Porter that kept Wisconsin in the game, going into the fourth quarter down 51-45.
Once play resumed in the fourth quarter, however, Wisconsin crumbled offensively. The Badgers lost all sense of urgency, shooting 0-for-8 from behind the arc. Throughout the quarter, Wisconsin cut into Purdue’s lead, only to lose its progress with stagnant offensive play. There were no late-game heroics for the Badgers, as the game would end 75-67 and mark their first loss at the Kohl Center this season.
