Aggressive Purdue too much for Saint Joseph's in Paradise Jam
ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands - After Friday's win over Boston College, Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli said the benefit of playing in tournaments like Paradise Jam was to have an opportunity early in the season to challenge a national powerhouse like Purdue.
Martelli got his wish last night, and for a while it looked like his Hawks could pull off the biggest upset of the tournament against the No. 7-ranked team in the country. The Hawks took an early nine-point lead, and were down only one at halftime.
But Purdue's aggressive defense and physical play sharply turned the game in the second half, and the Boilermakers (3-0) eventually enjoyed an 85-60 blowout.
"With their aggressive style, they exposed our flaws," Martelli said. "We were mentally and physically worn down in the second half."
As they did Friday, the Hawks (3-1) got off to a strong start, relying on accurate shooting from behind the arc. Four threes resulted in a 21-13 lead 9 minutes into the game.
It was pressure defense that brought the Boilermakers back. Purdue forced turnovers using a full-court press and trapping St. Joe's players in the backcourt. On offense, they attacked the basket.
The Boilermakers were within two when St. Joe's called a timeout with 6 minutes, 25 seconds left in the first half. They stole the ball out of the timeout and tied the game on the next play.
Purdue ratcheted up the intensity after the break, coming out with 11 unanswered points in the first 4 minutes of the second half, most off offensive rebounds and steals. Purdue stole the ball 12 times in the game, and forced 24 turnovers.
"It's a game of skill, and we just didn't show skill in any part of the game," Martelli said.
Garrett Williamson led the Hawks with 11 points, and center Jajuan Johnson led Purdue with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Saint Joseph's will meet DePaul today for third place in the tournament. After that game, Purdue will play No. 10 Tennessee will play to decide the tournament winner.
