The Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s basketball team continued their struggles on Wednesday night, falling to No. 4 Purdue 88-73.
The Gophers’ size became an issue early when Charlie Daniels picked up three fouls before the first media timeout. While Eric Curry took over off the bench, it didn’t stop the Boilermakers from dominating in the paint.
Zach Edey was the main beneficiary, scoring 14 points and pulling down 12 rebounds to help Purdue take the early advantage. While Edey held things down in the paint, Eric Hunter Jr. took over from the outside, scoring 20 points on the night.
The balanced attack helped the Boilermakers take a 51-36 lead into halftime. But while the Gophers have struggled, they always find a way to get back into the game.
Payton Willis led the charge with 24 points and 10 assists while Jamison Battle chipped in with 21 points. The Gophers got the lead down to nine points but Purdue had too much firepower to overcome and sent Minnesota to its seventh loss in the past eight games.
The Gophers (11-8, 2-8 Big Ten) will look to get back on track when they travel to Iowa on Feb. 6.
