Boilers subdued after loss

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The Purdue basketball team made program history against Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament semi-finals at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Unfortunately, it was not the kind of history this group would like to be remembered for.

The Boilermakers’ scored 11 points in the first 20 minutes; that’s the fewest ever put up in a half by any Purdue team in the last 60 years.

Head coach Matt Painter said it didn’t take long to realize this was simply not his team’s day.

“It just snowballed in the wrong direction,” Painter said. “You've seen it work for you that way, but being on the other end of that is tough. I told our players after the game, ‘you know the game of basketball will humble you,’ and obviously we are humbled.”

“They got what they wanted,” said Purdue senior guard Keaton Grant. “Second-chance points, getting to the basket, getting to the free-throw line. If that's the way you draw up a game-plan, they executed it 110 percent.”

Moving forward Purdue will need to draw up a new game-plan of its own, as the players set their sights on the next postseason tournament.

“All we can do now is just wait and prepare for the next team,” said E’Twaun Moore who was held to a season-low two points against the Gophers. “We gotta be pumped up, excited already. We can't hold our heads down; we gotta put this behind us and get ready for the tournament.”

Senior guard Chris Kramer was quick to point out that the bigger picture is much brighter.

“In the grand scheme of things, you've lost five games all year,” Kramer said. “So you just gotta learn where you're going tomorrow with selection Sunday, learn as much about your opponent as you can, because from here on out it's survive or go home.”

Any and all hope of a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament was put to bed with the 27-point loss. All Purdue can do now is sit and wait as the Selection Committee meets here in Indianapolis to decide the final field of 65.