Purdue 91, Wayne State (Neb) 58

Purdue got back to what it's been known for during the Painter era - stifling defense -- in taking down Wayne State (Neb.) tonight for its second exhibition win of the season. The Boilers stole the ball 19 times as part of a defensive effort that forced 29 turnovers from their Division II opponent.

Without suspended AJ Hammons for the second time this season, Purdue's only defensive weakness was blocked shots, which they only recorded three of. Wayne State's high scorer had 11 points, nine of which came off 3s.

Errick Peck was the most impressive Boiler on the night, both statistically and to the naked eye. He led the team with 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting, along with six rebounds and two assists. More impressively, however, was how Peck seemed to always be around the ball. Multiple times he recorded steals after Wayne State rebounds, where the Division II athletes were lazy with outlet passes.

Raphael Davis added 13 points on 5-of-6 from the field, while Terone Johnson and Bryson Scott each added 10 points to round out the Boilers-in-double-figures club.

Every scholarship Boilermaker that played in the game (all but Hammons) scored at least two points.

In addition to the defensive effort, the two other major positives from Purdue on the night were the drastic decline in 3-point attempts; Purdue hit five of 15 from long-range, with Kendall Stephens going 3-for-5. Also, no Boiler recorded more than three fouls and the team had just 18 total fouls. When 14 guys play, I guess the  minutes to foul out aren't necessarily there though.

It wasn't a flawless performance for Purdue though. Purdue turned the ball over 17 times - keep in mind the skill level of the opponent and that's even more concerning.