Baby, It’s Cold Inside: The Coldest Shooting Nights under Matt Painter

I’m not sure if anyone is aware that today it is incredibly cold outside in Indiana (and most of the country). In fact, had it not been for the few hundred people posting screenshots of their weather app, I probably wouldn’t have known it was in fact below 0 degrees (if I could type in sarcasm, I would). As I was trying to coax my dog outside, a thought hit me like an icicle falling from the Armstrong Engineering Building: I wonder what the coldest shooting night under Matt Painter was? Well, grab a seat by the fire and enjoy this list of the coldest shooting nights in Boilermaker history under Matt Painter. What else are we going to do until December 29th? (extra points for anyone who looks these games up to re-watch them).

1 | January 5th, 2020 | Purdue 37 Illinois 63 | 25% Field Goal % | 17.6% 3pt

On a cold January night at Illinois, Purdue started the game just as cold as the Illini ran out to an 11-0 lead in the first 6:51 before Matt Haarms finally broke through on a free throw. Purdue scored only 19 points in the first half and most Purdue fans thought that they couldn’t possibly play a worse half of basketball. As it would turn out, the Boilers would go on to only score 18 points in the second half.

Purdue would go on to shoot 15-60 from the field for 25% and only 3-17 from behind the arc. The Boilers cold shooting also extended to the free throw line where they shot only 4-10 while also getting outrebounded 34-46. Overall, Purdue would struggle to a 16-15 record and if not for the NCAA Tourney getting cancelled would likely have not made it.

2 | January 21st, 2014 | Purdue 60 Northwestern 63 | 27.6% Field Goal % | 38.1% 3pt

This was a season that most Boiler fans would likely like to forget as they struggled to a 15-17 season overall. After starting 10-4, Purdue would struggle for most of the conference season going just 5-13. This game at Northwestern began the downward spiral where Purdue would end the season going just 2-11 over the final 13 games.

On that night in Evanston, Purdue would shoot just 16-58 from the field (27.6%) but 8-21 (38.1%) from behind the arc. Purdue’s issues centered around 14 turnovers and missing easy shots that led to open looks for Northwestern. Purdue did shoot relatively well from the free throw line going 20-29 (69%) but needed two overtimes to get to 60 points. Purdue’s shooting woes were with AJ Hammons and Terone Johnson who went a combined 7-27 (25%). Purdue actually had five stretches in this game where they failed to score points for 2 or more minutes.

3 | December 29th, 2007 | FIU 44 Purdue 59 | 28.1% Field Goal % | 22.2% 3pt

Luckily for all of us this game is so far back in the Matt Painter era that you cannot find a Youtube highlight reel for this game so you’ll have to just trust me when I explain how poor this game was to watch for those of us in person. This is probably the ugliest Purdue game I have watched in person and might be only paralleled by some of the Darrell Hazel era games I went to.

This was still early on in the Baby Boilers’ careers and a game that was split by the Christmas Break shouldn’t have surprised anyone that they may struggle. Struggling would be putting it mildly as Purdue got behind 16-0 and failed to score any points in the first 10:20 of the game. Overall, Purdue show 28.1% (16-57) from the field and only 22.2% from behind the arc (4-18) while also turning the ball over 18 times.

Purdue was able to hold FIU to only 5 points in the final 10:45 seconds of the first half and outscored them 21-5 in that time frame. Purdue seemed to figure things out offensively as they scored 38 points while holding FIU to just 26 points. FIU also turned the ball over 25 times and shot an equally as poor 37% from the field and 18.8% from behind the arc.

4 | February 12th, 2019 | Purdue 56 Maryland 70 | 28.2% Field Goal % | 21.2% 3pt

This was a game where Purdue started off really well against the Terps and held a lead for most of the game, even ballooning to 11 points with 3:30 left in the first half. The issue was as Maryland went on a run in the second half, Purdue’s shooting went absolutely cold.

Purdue shot only 28.2% (20-71) from the field and just 21.2% (7-33) from behind the arc. Purdue did everything else in this game correctly as they only turned the ball over 4 times to Maryland’s 11, rebounded evenly on the road, and shot 14 free throws to Maryland’s 15. The wheels just fell off for Purdue in the second half as they could only muster 18 points as Maryland ran away with 40 points.

Carsen Edwards led Purdue with 24 shots but he took 28 to get there while only hitting 8 (29%). He was the only Boilermaker to get into double figures as Ryan Cline was the second leading scorer with 9 points on 3-12 shooting (3-8 from behind the arc).

5 | March 8th, 2009 | Purdue 51 Michigan St. 62 | 28.3% Field Goal % | 17.4% 3pt

Anytime you are playing at the Breslin Center you know it is going to be a loud environment and even a very veteran B1G can struggle. That is exactly what happened to the Baby Boilers in 2009 as they shot only 28.3% from the field and an even worse 17.4% from behind the arc.

Purdue actually took a 2 point lead into the half of this game 31-29 but came out for the second half and just looked like they lost their legs and couldn’t hit any shots with consistency. The Spartans were able to run away in the second half outscoring Purdue 33-20 while shooting just 38.3% from the field themselves. The Spartans had an uncharacteristic day turning the ball over 19 times but dominated the glass outrebounding Purdue 58-38 and grabbing 17 offensive rebounds. The Spartans also went 22-32 from the free throw line while Purdue went 13-17.

Purdue would end up finishing 3rd in the conference race in 2009 but would end up winning the B1G Conference Tourney later on in the season. That season, which constituted one of the best opportunities that Purdue has had at a Final Four under Matt Painter but ran into UCONN in the Sweet 16 on their way to a Final Four.

Dishonorable Mention | December 8th, 2012 | Purdue 44 Eastern Michigan 47 2012 - 29.8% Field Goal % | 28.6% 3pt

Not going to give Eastern Michigan any more satisfaction out of being Purdue considering they also beat Purdue in Ross Ade Stadium a few years ago. Not sure why Purdue wanted to go play in Ypsilanti but this is the definition of what happens when you play stupid games. You get stupid prizes like a road loss to a bad MAC team that finished the season 16-18 overall.