Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/223221
just sitting around not saying anything." After one of the games, Painter was asked if he could make sense of the hot-andcold nature of his team. "If I knew it, I would change it," Painter said. "I have no idea." The difficulty for Purdue has lied in consistent play amidst mostly static game conditions. "We're showing success and failure against the same thing," Painter said. "It just lies within us to continue to plug and continue to work. If it wasn't there, then we wouldn't have any success at all." The Boilermaker coach said he doesn't think it has much to do with the fact his team has numerous first-year players playing prominent roles. "Hopefully, that's part of it, because if it is, that's a good thing," Painter said. "If it's not, then it's just, 'That's who you are,' and that's something I don't want to believe at this point. We have to be more consistent across the board on a daily basis, in my opinion, to be more consistent in games." That emphasis paid off against Boston College in a nationally televised game played in front of the best crowd Mackey Arena's seen thus far in 2013-14. Aside from some early rebounding issues, allowing too many offensive boards, Purdue played arguably its best game of the season at both ends of the floor against a notable opponent. The Boilermakers started well and maintained it in the second half. "We just had to keep pushing," freshman Basil Smotherman said. "We came out hot and they came out hot too (in the first half ). We just couldn't let up. Coach Painter said, and (Terone Johnson) said, 'Play two halves.' … We finished the game and that's something we have to keep doing, to keep pushing." It was a win Purdue will hope can act as a springboard with two more high-profile non-conference games — against Butler in the Crossroads Classic and at West Virginia — remaining. j GoldanDBlack express • volume 24, express 13 • 2