Sections

Boilermakers squash Blue

As far as the Michigan men's basketball team's Big Ten chances are concerned, one thing is clear.

The Wolverines have a tough, tough challenge ahead of them in the race for the conference title. One that borders on mission impossible.

Purdue's 80-59 waxing of No. 20 Michigan (4-4 Big Ten, 14-7 overall) in front of 13,562 at Crisler Arena made sure of that.

Though they weren't expected to contend for the league title, the two-time defending Big Ten champion Boilermakers (6-2, 16-4) aren't ready to hand over their crown just yet. Michigan had absolutely no clue against No. 17 Purdue in the blowout loss.

"This is not the way we had scripted it," Michigan coach Steve Fisher said. "From the get-go, we were manhandled on our home court and humiliated and embarrassed in every way possible."

The loss also snapped the Wolverines' 15-game home winning streak.

The Boilermakers came into the game without a starter averaging more than 10.9 points per game. Purdue hasn't won 16 games this season by being lucky, though. The Boilermakers have beaten teams playing good ol' team basketball and last night was no exception.

They had the Wolverines dead and buried by halftime.

"They came out and took it to us from the start," Michigan's Maceo Baston said. "Before we knew it, we were down 20 points."

Purdue led early, 15-13, and then things went rotten for Michigan.

After six straight points gave the Boilermakers a 21-13 lead, Baston picked up his third foul on a charge under his own basket.

The sophomore center sat on the bench for the final 10:17 of the first half.

With Baston on the bench, Purdue erupted like Mt. St. Helens.

A couple of possessions after Baston left, the Boilermakers' Brandon Brantley dunked and Robert Traylor hammered him from behind. The resulting free throw made it 24-13 Purdue with 9:28 left until intermission.

From there, it only got worse for the Wolverines. Much, much worse.

Purdue's Justin Jennings sandwiched a jumper and a 3-pointer around a Traylor dunk, Chad Austin hit twice from the outside and Fisher was forced to call time with 4:54 left and Michigan trailing, 33-17.

That didn't stop the bleeding. It only seemed to open new wounds.

After the break, Austin hit from long range and then Roy Hairston went inside for two more.

At the TV timeout with 3:10 left in the half, Purdue had more than doubled Michigan, 38-18.

Back on the floor, the Wolverines proceeded to crawl to halftime -- with boos on their backs. The Boilermakers had ended the period with a 29-9 run.

They had played a perfect half.

Michigan had done the opposite.

Purdue shot 60 percent for the half and outrebounded the Wolverines, 17-11. Michigan was just 10 for 25 (40 percent) from the field, committed 10 turnovers and consistently let Purdue get inside for easy buckets.

At halftime, the Wolverines' top two scorers, Maurice Taylor and Louis Bullock, had a combined five points. Traylor (eight first-half points) was Fisher's only offensive threat during the opening 20 minutes.

"We had a lot of good plays in the first half," Purdue coach Gene Keady said. "We probably had to play our best game of the year here to win it and, lo and behold, we did it."

In the second half, the Wolverines could get no closer than 18 as the Boilermakers kept running and dunking until the final gun.

With the loss, Michigan probably needs to win nine of its 10 remaining conference games to contend for the school's first Big Ten title since back in the days of the nip-and-tuck basketball shorts -- 1986.