Purdue men's basketball loses to GVSU Lakers in exhibition

Boilermakers fall to Division II opponent in exhibition game

Purdue's Matt Painter addresses the team's performance

Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team lost to the Grand Valley State University Lakers 64-56 in an exhibition game on Sunday, October 30.

The Lakers, a Division II school, led by 13 points at halftime and held on for the win despite a second-half rally by the Boilermakers.

Junior guard Eric Hunter Jr. led Purdue with 17 points, while sophomore forward Caleb Furst added 12 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman guard Braden Smith also scored in double figures with 10 points.

The Boilermakers shot just 33.3% from the field and 25% from three-point range. They also committed 16 turnovers.

The Lakers were led by senior guard Jake Van Tubbergen, who scored 21 points. Junior forward Marius Grazulis added 14 points and 12 rebounds.

The Boilermakers will open the regular season on Monday, November 7, against the Milwaukee Panthers.

Matt Painter's comments on the team's performance

After the game, Purdue coach Matt Painter said he was disappointed with his team's performance.

"We didn't play very well tonight," Painter said. "We didn't shoot the ball well, we didn't rebound the ball well, and we didn't defend well."

Painter said he hopes his team can learn from its mistakes and improve before the regular season begins.

"We have a lot of work to do," Painter said. "But I believe in this team, and I know we can be a good team."