WEST LAFAYETTE − At last, Purdue basketball fans can breathe a sigh of relief.
It took huge late run to blow the game open, but the Boilermakers left Mackey Arena with their first victory.
A lineup change that included Jack Benter and Antione West Jr. among the starting helped pilot Purdue‘s 76-59 win over Illinois State.
Purdue (1-2) led 50-48 midway through the second half before landing the knockout blow it needed after losses to Gonzaga and Valparaiso to open the season while also snapping out of its 3-point shooting funk.
After combining to shoot just 20.4% from 3 in the first two games, the Boilers made 8 of 19 against the Redbirds (1-2).
Purdue basketball turning point vs. Illinois State
Despite a hot shooting first half, Purdue couldn’t separate itself from the Redbirds.
Illinois State had a chance to cut the lead to two Louie Semona II’s 3-pointer was off and Enzo Shahrvin pulled down the rebound. Purdue called timeout to set up a final play. Antione West Jr. ended up making a stepback 3-pointer from the right wing to give the Boilermakers a 36-28 halftime lead.
That shot was Purdue’s saving grace for a long time, but it was just enough to keep Illinois State from ever pulling even or going ahead. Eventually, Purdue found its footing and blew the game open with a 24-2 run relying on a lineup of Antione West Jr., Luke Ertel, CJ Cox, Jack Benter and Daniel Jacobsen.
Game MVP
Jack Benter received his first two career starts out of necessity when Trey Kaufman-Renn was sidelined to open last season. On Monday, the junior was in the starting rotation for the first time in a year. He showed what he’s capable of from the get go, sinking a 3-pointer for the game’s first points, then drawing a charge on the defensive end.
It set the stage for a productive night across the board for Benter, who finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal.
3 Purdue basketball standouts vs. Illinois State
Daniel Jacobsen: Three games in a row is a trend. The 7-foot-4 center is Purdue’s best offensive piece. It was another stellar night for the Boilermaker big man, contributing his third straight game with at least 20 points, hitting that number on the nose. Jacobsen also had 7 rebounds and 3 assists.
Antione West Jr.: In his first career start after sitting out last season, West had a coming out party. West scored 17 points on 7 of 11 shooting and added 2 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal.
CJ Cox: The junior guard made three early midrange jumpers. He didn’t fill up the stat sheet, but he didn’t hurt the Boilermakers either. Cox had 10 points, 3 assists and, in typical Cox fashion, no turnovers.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Finally, Purdue basketball finds its offense late to run off Illinois State