Purdue will be tested by Marquette after two blowout wins
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The 19th-ranked Purdue Boilermakers may run out of superlatives by the end of the season.
In their first two games, the Boilermakers scored a combined 216 points, defeating Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 105-74 in their opener and dismantling Chicago State 111-42 on Sunday.
The blowout marked the lowest shooting percentage by a Purdue opponent in school history (21.5 percent) as well as the first time in 43 years the Boilermakers scored 100 or more points in back-to-back games.
Purdue (2-0) will face its first real test of the season Tuesday as it plays at Marquette (1-0) in the Gavitt Tipoff Games series. It's the first-ever meeting between the schools.
With four returning starters from their 2016 Big Ten championship team, the Boilermakers are as experienced as any team in the country. Senior forward Vince Edwards, who is the only active player in the nation with at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists, believes Purdue's margin of victory its first two games indicates growth from last season.
"That just goes to show that we're growing and we're more mature," Edwards said. "It doesn't matter who we're playing, we can't take the game lightly."
Edwards notched his fifth career double-double against Chicago State, scoring 15 points to go with 12 rebounds. Carsen Edwards led all scorers with a career-high 26 points and is averaging a team-best 21 points through two games.
Marquette (1-0) defeated Mount St. Mary's 80-59 on Friday and is 3-1 in season openers under Steve Wojciechowski.
The Golden Eagles led by as many as 37 points and had four players in double figures, including a game-high 23 from Andrew Rowsey, the team's lone senior. Rowsey was on the bench for much of the second half, enabling Mount St. Mary's to chip away at the deficit.
"Andrew's a huge key to our team," Wojciechowski said Friday. "Being our only senior, he really settles us down. ... We need him to be mature. We need him to be disciplined."
The Golden Eagles shot 51 percent from the field in their opener but were just 6 of 21 from 3-point range, where they've excelled in recent years.
"I think people are honoring our 3-point shot," Wojciechowski said. "So what that does is it leads to driving opportunities."
Purdue coach Matt Painter is among those who respect Marquette's ability to shoot from distance.
"It's two totally different styles," Painter said of preparing for Marquette compared to its previous opponents. "Marquette is one of the best shooting teams in the country. They had the best 3-point percentage in the country last year, so they have a lot of guys who can play and they spread you out well."
The Boilermakers are seeking their ninth 3-0 start in 12 seasons under Painter.
