WEST LAFAYETTE — With two minutes left in the game, Purdue was gasping for air to keep its lead over Minnesota.
No. 2 Purdue was up by just five points against unranked Minnesota — and that was after the Boilermakers fought back from a 10-point deficit near halftime, got a double-digit lead themselves, then let Minnesota creep back into the game in the homestretch. The Boilermakers desperately needed a spark to finish out the game.
That spark came off the bench in senior forward Mason Gillis.
Taking a quick pass from point guard Braden Smith at the right slot of the 3-point line, Gillis heaved the ball to the basket. Swish.
The Boilermakers (23-2, 12-2) were up by eight points, and it was exactly the breathing room they needed to finish off an eight-point, 84-76, victory.
And the confidence Gillis has built in his game allowed him to take that shot.
“I think a couple years ago, there would be times where I would catch the ball and not shoot it, just because I wasn’t as confident in myself,” he said. “But just over time, building the trust with Braden and the other point guards, and building trust in myself.”