Minnesota found itself in familiar territory Sunday against Purdue. For the second time in a week, the Golden Gophers went to overtime. This time, they were able to get over the hump, going on the road to knock off 15th-ranked Purdue 91-82.
Purdue's fantastic big man Caleb Swanigan dazzled, putting up 28 points and 22 rebounds to add to his list of double-double performances this season.
Minnesota shot 49.3 percent and got a huge night from junior Nate Mason, who contributed 31 points and 11 assists.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
1. Purdue's sloppy played doomed them.
Even when you're playing at home, turnovers can be costly. And there were too many unforced turnovers that gave Minnesota easy buckets in transition. In the first half alone, Purdue turned it over on 25 percent of its possessions.
Playing fast and loose doomed the Boilermakers, despite getting a huge day again from Swanigan. But 14 turnovers coupled with an early 17-4 deficit made it difficult for Purdue.
2. Swanigan is a video game with endless potential.
Swanigan was the main reason Purdue climbed back into the game and even took the lead in the second half. He's a rebounding monster. He can carve out space in the paint on offense. And he can pass like Jason Kidd!
Not only did he finish with 28 points and 22 rebounds, but this is becoming a routine. It's like Russell Westbrook casually dropping a triple-double in 20 minutes. This was Swanigan's fourth 20-20 game of the season -- and his 12th double-double. Even banging up against Minnesota's physical big man Reggie Lynch, who is 6-foot-10, 260 pounds, Swanigan had no issue posting one of the most impressive stat lines of the season.
3. This was a huge win for the Minnesota program.
Richard Pitino's team lost 13 consecutive games to open Big Ten play last season, but in two games in conference play this season has taken Michigan State to overtime and lost and taken No. 15 Purdue to overtime -- on the road! -- and come away victorious.
Under Pitino in his fourth season in Minneapolis, the Golden Gophers appear to be turning a corner and making a significant improvement. This is a win that Pitino could build on to improve moving forward if they can continue to play with the effort and consistency they did against Purdue.
The result drops Purdue to 12-3, snapping a seven-game winning streak. The Boilermakers will get a chance to get back on track Thursday with a trip to Ohio State. Minnesota will face Northwestern on Thursday where both teams will be looking to make early impressions on the NCAA Tournament selection committee.