Boilers win rebounding battle, lose to Bulldogs on turnovers

By Greg Conner
Staff Writer

The Purdue men’s basketball team fixed one problem, only to find another. After being out-rebounded in every game so far this season, the Boilers dominated the boards, but lost the turnover battle in a 74-68 loss to Butler Tuesday night.

"We made really horrible decisions when we had the lead tonight," said Purdue coach Gene Keady. "One of our main emphases was to pass the ball with good judgement, and not give them a chance to get back in the game. We didn’t do that tonight."

The Boilers (2-2) also had problems handling the Bulldogs' trapping defense. At one point late in the second in half, the Butler (5-0) defense trapped Maynard Lewis at mid court, forcing one of the Boilers' 18 turnovers on the night.

"We practice trapping every day," said Keady. "We should not have had any trouble with the game trap. We just made really bad passing decisions."

Purdue’s turnovers, 10 of which came in the second half, allowed the Bulldogs to come back from a 14-point deficit and take the lead with just under two minutes to go in the game.

"I think when we get a 14-point lead it doesn’t mean anything anymore," said Keady. "With three point shooting, you have to take care of the basketball, and just avoid the turnovers. They’re what lost the game for us."

The ability to pass the ball was something that the Boilers struggled with throughout the game. The Bulldogs' ability to control the passing lanes and force Boilermaker turnovers were key in Purdue’s loss.

"We didn’t take care of the ball that well down the stretch, and we didn’t execute some of our plays," said Purdue guard Willie Deane. "In some instances we shot the ball too quick and were not able to come up with offensive rebounds. So, in a sense, we shot ourselves in the foot."

Purdue guard Maynard Lewis, who finished with 18 points and 4 rebounds, took the loss personal.

"I had three turnovers, so that is disappointing being a senior," said Lewis, who was one of four Boilermakers who had three turnovers against the Bulldogs' pressure defense.

Coach Keady agreed with Lewis that Purdue has a lot to learn, but he said his team will be able to bounce back before this weekend’s Boilermaker Invitational.

"This can make our season or break our season," said Keady. "This should be a great lesson for our guys to watch the tape and learn how to do it right. Smart decision making and good fundamentals will cure a lot of our ailments."

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