Michael Marot The Associated Press
INDIANOPOLIS – Jaden Ivy gave № 9 Purdue the products and energy needed to reach the title game of the Big Ten tournament.
He is now able to lead the third-seeded Boilermakers to a championship that has once avoided them this season.
Ivy scored 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and Eric Hunter Jr. made two reverse 3-pointers at the end of Saturday’s second semi-final game, giving Purdue a 75-70 victory over seventh-seeded Michigan.
“Tomorrow is a big game for us,” Ivy said. “We didn’t win the championship in the regular season. That was our goal, and we failed. Tomorrow we have a chance to win the championship and take it home. “
The Boilermakers will play Sunday against the 24th number of Iowa (25-9).
For Ivy it was a sensational day at the building, his mother, Notre Dame coach Neil Ivy, once called home as a WNBA Indiana Fever member. He came out of the field 7 out of 14, made two 3 and six out of eight from the free throw line, often turning great drives into points. Result: Purdue (27-6) has won three in a row to achieve his first since 2018 game in the Big Ten.
Ivy also gasped from the noticeably friendly crowd as he fell hard to the ground, breaking out of balance on the break from the game, which made the score 69-59 at 1:50 to the end. He lingered for a moment and seemed to rub his tail before getting up and finishing the game.
But the Spartans (22-12) went much worse in the trauma department. Starting guard Tyson Walker left in the first half with an ankle sprain and did not return. His replacement, sophomore AJ Hoggard, turned an ankle on the next possession. Hogard also left, but came back and finished with 17 points and 10 assists, though injuries made Michigan unstable.
“The doctor told me we lost two playmakers in 23 seconds or something,” Michigan coach Tom Iso said. Tyson, the only thing he would give us is the way they play on the screens, he could really help us. I don’t know how bad it is. It’s not broken or anything, but it’s bad enough, it will be a while. “
Not only did Ivy make a difference against the Spartans, in which a series of three games was interrupted.
Michigan last played in the 2019 Championship Championship, and when the Spartans reduced the deficit to 57-56 from hogard hog from 5:45 to the end, it seemed the drought could end.
Instead, Hunter knocked down three in a row, and after Williams made one of two free throws, Hunter scored a goal on the leap, bringing the Boilermakers ahead 66-56 with a score of 3:31. They were the only threes for Hunter in the game and he finished with 11 points.
Michigan spent the rest of the game wasting time catching up in a close competition involving two longtime conference representatives and the coaches of the league with the longest tenures.
“When they cut it down to one, they really showed some endurance to do some games,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “I thought it was a turning point.”
The big picture
Michigan: After losing five of the last seven games of the regular season, the Spartans have regained confidence and need to take some momentum in the NCAA tournament. They fought off Maryland on Thursday, beat regular-season Wisconsin champions on Friday and challenged perhaps the league’s best team until late Saturday night. But injuries could affect crops in Michigan.
Purdue: Now the Boilermakers have a second chance to win the league title. While two wins in two days may have allowed him to take No. 2 in an NCAA tournament with 68 teams, a win on Sunday could make that true.
SUMMARY OF THE SURVEY
For most of this season, the Boilers were the top ten teams in the Big Ten, and now that’s unlikely to change. They entered the top 10 for school records for 18 consecutive weeks. Sunday’s victory will extend that record in Monday’s rankings.
STAT PACK
Michigan: Gabe Brown scored 16 for the Spartans. … Marcus Bingham Jr., Max Christie and Malik Hall completed nine points each. … Bingham and Christie also had six rebounds each. Brown had four. .. The Spartans were 7 out of 25 on 3 in their third game in three days.
Purdue: Williams scored 15 points and seven rebounds. … Zack Eddie scored 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Mason Gillis added 10 points and seven rebounds. … Purdue had a 43-35 rebound and outscored Michigan 22-9 by a second chance.
NEXT
Michigan: Waiting for the NCAA tournament qualifiers to announce Sunday. Purdue: On Sunday will be chasing the crown of the first conference tournament since 2009.