Jaden Ivey converted the go-ahead 3-point play with 13 seconds remaining Sunday afternoon as No. 3 Purdue survived a stiff challenge from visiting Maryland and escaped with a 62-61 triumph in West Lafayette, Ind.
On his 20th birthday, Ivey had a rough overall performance as he got into foul trouble and was held to 11 points on 2-for-9 shooting. His second basket, however, helped Purdue (22-4, 11-4 Big Ten) eke out the win after the Boilermakers had absorbed an 82-58 loss at Michigan on Thursday.
Sasha Stefanovic led the Boilermakers with 17 points, and it took a game-saving blocked shot for Purdue to remain within one game of Illinois in the Big Ten standings.
Maryland (11-14, 3-11) led by a dozen points with 11 minutes remaining before Purdue rallied. In just 2:40, the Boilermakers scored 11 unanswered points, regaining the lead when Stefanovic’s 3-pointer made it 49-48 with 8:20 remaining.
But Maryland wouldn’t go away. In the last nine minutes, the teams traded the lead four times and the score was tied four times.
The Terrapins scrapped to a 59-59 deadlock with 38 seconds remaining when Fatts Russell went past two defenders to a layup.
Ivey then snapped the tie with a savvy play, getting around Hakim Hart and using a screen by Williams to scoop in a left-handed layup and convert the free throw for a three-point lead.
Maryland’s Russell hit two free throws with eight seconds left to make it a one-point game and Purdue sweated out the final seconds when Purdue committed a turnover on the ensuing inbounds pass.
Scott was trapped and tried to force a layup with three seconds left, but Trevion Williams and Mason Gillis gave him no room to operate and knocked it out of his hands as he tried to put up the game-winning shot, allowing Purdue to escape.
Williams added 12 points and Zach Edey finished with 10 as Purdue shot 44.2 percent and survived committing 16 turnovers.
Russell finished with an impressive all-around game, totaling 24 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals. Russell shot 9-of-17 as Maryland nearly pulled off the upset as leading scorer Eric Ayala sat with a wrist injury.
Donta Scott added 11 points for Maryland, which shot 43.6 percent and produced a significantly better showing than Thursday when it was handed a 110-87 home loss to Iowa.
–Field Level Media
