Purdue 91, Radford 84
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP)
– Maynard Lewis developed into a scoring threat toward the end
of last season. It’s a role he isn’t giving up.
Rodney Smith scored 20 points
and Lewis had 18 to lead five players in double figures as Purdue beat
Radford 91-84 Wednesday.
Radford (1-3) rallied from
an 18-point first-half deficit to trail by six early in the second.
Mike Hornbuckle, who started his 60th straight game despite breaking
his nose Sunday, hit a 3-pointer to make it 50-44.
The Boilermakers (2-0) wouldn’t
let the Highlanders get closer. Willie Deane turned a steal into a layup
and made the free throw to make it 53-44. They led by 10 with 10 1/2
minutes left, 13 with 9 1/2 to go and 15 at the 7:50 mark following
a Lewis 3.
Purdue coach Gene Keady said
Lewis has been one of its most improved players.
"It’s good to see
him play like he is," Keady said. "Certainly he shoots the
ball with confidence. I like his demeanor when the game is close. The
one thing he’s gotten better at is his defense."
Radford got the score back
down to eight, 88-80, with 1:02 remaining after a Raymond Arrington
3-pointer. The Boilermakers closed out the game with free throws.
Arrington scored 31 points
and had a school-record 20 rebounds, Andrey Savtchenko had 22 and Hornbuckle
added 15 for Radford. Arrington made 7-of-14 3-pointers.
Radford outrebounded Purdue
41-31.
"I’m really concerned
about our defense," Keady said. "Defense is going to be key
to our players and their playing time. I’m not going to get uptight
about our shot selection. I’m going to get real uptight if you
don’t play somebody the proper way and help each other and get
back on D."
John Allison, who had 12
points and seven rebounds, said the Boilermakers need to improve their
offensive rebounding. Radford held a 10-7 edge.
"That’s something
that can’t happen," he said. "We’ve got to have
all guys crash the boards. If we don’t crash the boards, we’re
not going to win many ballgames."
Lewis set a career-high in
points a year ago first in the Big Ten tournament and then in the NIT.
When Allison and Smith each missed time with a broken foot, Lewis slumped
while trying to carry the team. Once those two returned, Keady said
Lewis improved.
"When he was trying
to make points when Rodney and John were out last year, he pressed a
little bit. Once we got those guys back he relaxed and shot with more
confidence," Keady said. "I thought he pressed a lot in February
trying to be our leading scorer. I thought that was a good lesson for
him."
The Boilermakers scored the
first 10 points and took a 26-8 lead midway through the first half.
But Radford used a 6-1 offensive rebounding edge, nine of 11 free-throw
shooting and 3-pointers to climb back in.
Arrington hit two straight
3’s to make it 26-14 and added another with 3 1/2 minutes left
in the half to make it 38-29.
Brett Buscher scored 13,
Deane had 10 and Austin Parkinson added eight assists for Purdue.
Smith and Allison each scored
10 points for a 44-35 halftime lead.
"We almost put them
away early," Keady said. "We let them get their heads up.
Our guys have to got to learn shot selection is so precious."
Keady is four wins away from
his 500th Division I victory. Keady’s 22 years at Purdue is one
year less than the other 10 Big Ten coaches’ tenure combined.
PURDUE 91, RADFORD 84
RADFORD (1-3)
Watkins 6-9 0-0 12, Savtchenko
8-15 6-11 22, Arrington 10-22 4-5 31, Hornbuckle 6-12 0-0 15, Popoola
0-1 0-0 0, Haigler 0-0 0-0 0, Cornute 1-2 0-0 2, Noiles 0-3 0-0 0, Obasuyi
1-1 0-2 2, Zaharias 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-65 10-18 84.
PURDUE (2-0)
Smith 6-9 6-8 20, Allison
5-6 2-3 12, Parkinson 0-2 2-2 2, Lewis 5-9 4-8 18, Kilgore 1-8 0-0 2,
Deane 2-8 6-6 10, Buscher 5-10 3-3 13, McKnight 3-4 0-2 6, Marshall
1-2 2-2 5, Carroll 1-4 0-1 3, Garrity 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-62 25-35
91.
Halftime-Purdue 44, Radford
35. 3-Point goals-Radford 10-26 (Arrington 7-14, Hornbuckle 3-8, Noiles
0-2, Cornute 0-1, Watkins 0-1), Purdue 8-20 (Lewis 4-8, Smith 2-3, Carroll
1-1, Marshall 1-2, Parkinson 0-1, Kilgore 0-2, Deane 0-3). Fouled out-Allison,
Arrington, Obasuyi. Rebounds-Radford 41 (Savtchenko 20), Purdue 31 (Allison
7). Assists-Radford 19 (Hornbuckle 6), Purdue 22 (Parkinson 8) Total
fouls-Radford 26, Purdue 16. A-9,434.
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