(Photo credit: Boilerdowd)

Purdue clawed out a double overtime victory tonight over Minnesota, 83-78, at Mackey Arena to move to 2-1 in Big Ten play. I’m exhausted just thinking about this. It was a decidedly strange game, with wild ebbs and flows as Purdue would seem to be just about ready to put it away and then would go dark on the offensive end, allowing Minnesota to come back. And come back they did, time and time again. Right up front, let’s credit Little Pitino’s crew with truly working hard the entire game. They were visibility exhausted themselves by the end.

We’re with ya, girl. (Photo credit: Clinton Cole) — We’re with ya, girl. (*Photo credit: Clinton Cole*)

Minnesota really should have won it at the end of regulation. Purdue had found a way to fritter away several leads of up to eight points and were down 62-59, helped in part by Minnesota banking in two threes and landing one that I could only describe on Twitter as looking like a cornhole bag the way it hit the rim and sort of slid in.

However, Purdue managed to steal the ball on a combined effort by Hunter and Trevion and then rushed down on a break with about twenty seconds remaining. In what’s becoming a theme, they were unable to make a layup…but in another ongoing theme, Trevion Williams made a brilliant pass and found Sasha on the right wing. Well, not quite all the way out where he needed to be, so while the pass was on its way, Sasha backpedaled to behind the three point line. On the prior trip down, Stefanovic had forced a hideous three that had almost seemed to seal what would be, while not a bad loss, a loss that would hurt. Instead, this time it went differently.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
pic.twitter.com/rh31cayPJP
— Purdue Mens Basketball (@BoilerBall) January 3, 2020

Mackey was alive and Purdue was as well. The game wound up going to overtime, but that wasn’t enough to settle things, either…because of course it wasn’t. Didn’t these guys know there was a Gator Bowl to watch tonight?

Minnesota probably should have won again at the end of the first OT, as they had the ball and a one point lead in the final 15 seconds…but fumbled it away to Hunter and Williams again and Trevion was fouled in the ensuing layup attempts. He made one of two and we went on to double OT.

In the second OT, Splasha was there to save the day again.

How huge was this guy tonight?

Sasha splashed another clutch 3 in double-OT on the way to @BoilerBall's win: pic.twitter.com/AB8SZcTYul
— Purdue On BTN (@PurdueOnBTN) January 3, 2020

The Boilermakers went 11/25 from deep and shot 42% from the floor overall and had some great scoring distribution. I haven’t even mentioned Matty Haarms, who obliterated his career high by scoring 26 points. Twenty-six! It felt strangely quiet, didn’t it? Matthew went 11/16 from the field, 1/3 from deep, 3/5 from the line, had nine rebounds, three assists and a single block. Pretty nice body of work.

Eric Hunter had 16 points on 4/10 shooting and 3/4 accuracy from long range. Trevion had a beautiful game in many ways, but on the box score he had 14 points on 50% shooting from the field – and from the line (4/8)! But he, too, had nine rebounds to go along with a couple steals, a block and an assist. Trevion was everywhere and he’s very good at basketball and feels like one of the few sure handed guys in pressure situations – as long as we’re not talking about free throws.

All but one of Minny’s starters played over 40 minutes, while only one of Purdue’s did (Sasha). This team still has a lot of developing to do, but wins like these help. Seeing you’re capable of winning games like this – especially ones in which you almost piss it away late – does a lot for a team’s confidence.

Next up for Purdue is a trip to visit the beleaguered Brad Underwood and Illinois.