Michigan
11-9,5-5Big Ten
Purdue
20-3,9-3Big Ten
Dickinson's 28 Points, Valiant U-M Effort Not Enough to Take Down No. 4 Purdue
2/5/2022 5:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» Despite a strong team effort, Michigan dropped an 82-76 decision at No. 4 Purdue.
» Hunter Dickinson led U-M with career-best-tying 28 points, his sixth 20+ point game over his last seven contests.
» DeVante' Jones had 13 points and Caleb Houstan had 11.
» Michigan shot 55.1 percent from the field, while Purdue shot 52 percent.
Site: West Lafayette, Ind. (Mackey Arena)
Score: #4 Purdue 82, Michigan 76
Records: U-M (11-9, 5-5 B1G), PUR (20-3, 9-3 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, Feb. 8 -- at Penn State (State College, P.), 9 p.m. (TV: ESPN2)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Despite a valiant effort and a career-best-tying 28 points from sophomore center Hunter Dickinson, the University of Michigan men's basketball team fell 82-76 to No. 4-ranked Purdue on Saturday (Feb. 5) at a raucous Mackey Arena.
As the Wolverines and Boilermakers each shot better than 50 percent from the field (55.8 percent and 51.7 percent, respectively), Purdue's rebounding advantage (32 to 22) and inside scoring led to 44 points in the paint, while the Maize and Blue had 26 down low. Michigan, which made eight three-pointers, held the nation's No. 2-rated deep-shooting team to five, half of its per-game average.
Dickinson led the Wolverines with his eighth 20-plus-point performance of the season as he closed with a career-best-tying 28 points, finishing 12-for-17 from the field, with a pair of three-pointers. He added two rebounds and two blocks. With his career effort, Dickinson has now posted six of last seven games with 20 points or more. Five of his 11 three-pointers have come in the state of Indiana.
Graduate student DeVante' Jones added 12 points, four rebounds and four assists, while freshman Caleb Houstan had 11 points and three assists.
In the first of two meetings in less than a week, the game began with a typical Big Ten feeling-out process. The Maize and Blue went inside to Dickinson, and Purdue (20-3, 9-3 Big Ten) used its inside/outside game as both teams experimented with offensive sets. Out of the first media timeout and leading 7-4, the Boilermakers got triples from three different players, forcing a U-M timeout, and a 13-4 run gave Purdue a 20-8 lead.
Terrance Williams II gave U-M two quick buckets off the bench as the Wolverines began to cut into Purdue's lead, trailing by eight, 22-14, midway through the first half. After missing its first four attempts, U-M climbed back into the game making five triples with Eli Brooks, Kobe Bufkin, Brandon Johns Jr. and two from Dickinson helping the Michigan (11-9, 5-5 Big Ten) cut its deficit to just one, 32-31, with four minutes left. A closing 6-2 spurt from the Boilermakers -- with two inside floaters from Purdue big Trevion Williams -- sent the Wolverines into the locker room down six, 39-33, at halftime.
Both offenses came out firing in the second half, with the Wolverines going 5-for-5 and the Boilermakers shooting 5-for-7. However, Purdue was able to maintain its advantage, 49-44, heading into the first media break. A 14-6 Purdue run over the next five minutes helped the Boilermakers rebuild their lead to 10, 59-49, midway through the second half.
Timely shooting for the Boilermakers, who got into the bonus with nine minutes left, continued to keep the Wolverines at bay driving downhill and getting to the basket. Trailing by 12, U-M amped up its defensive pressure, pressing Purdue into a 10-second call and two turnovers as the Wolverines trailed by nine, 68-59, at the under-eight-minute timeout.
U-M was able to cut the deficit in half over the next two minutes, but, the Boilermakers continued to counter each Wolverine attempt. A late Michigan push, capped off by a Jones three-pointer, cut the deficit to four with 1:45 left, 76-72, before late-game free throws by Purdue helped seal the victory and snapping a five-game losing streak to the Wolverines.
The Maize and Blue continue their road swing, traveling to State College, Pa., to start a busy week on Tuesday night (Feb. 8) battle with Penn State. Tipoff is slated for a 9 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
