Head coach Matt Painter said afterward that he knew VCU had a really good team and was hoping that group wouldn’t show up against his guys.

JaJuan Johnson lead the way with 25 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks but didn’t get much help from his teammates.

Purdue’s usually stingy defense was anything but that against VCU, which ripped apart their press with ease.

The Boilermakers aren’t much of a pressing team, so it was surprising to see them employ it against a team that plays best at a fast pace.

Purdue came into the tournament smarting from a blowout loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament.

However, against one of the top defensive teams in the NCAA tournament, the Boilermakers rolled to victory.

While St. Peter’s is very good on the defensive end, similar to Purdue, they really struggle to score.

That became apparent early and often in this one, and it was clear that they didn’t have the firepower to stay with Purdue.

It will go down as a very successful season for the Purdue Boilermakers, although the ending left a lot to be desired.

Playing in the third round of the NCAA tournament’s Southwest regional in Chicago, the Boilermakers had no answer for red-hot Virginia Commonwealth, the Rams eliminating Purdue 94-76 on Sunday.

Purdue’s season ends after 26 victories, thanks in part to the Rams shooting 57.8 percent from the field. The Boilermakers were just 8 of 25 from 3-point range, trailed 42-32 at halftime and gave up 52 second-half points.

JaJuan Johnson led Purdue with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Ryne Smith added 20 points.

Purdue entered the NCAAs as the third seed in the Southwest. After a 65-43 victory in the second round on Friday against St. Peter’s, the Boilermakers had sights set on the Sweet 16. Instead, VCU handed Purdue a bitter ending to a season that saw Purdue finish second overall in the Big Ten Conference.

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The Purdue Boilermakers took that expected first step in their quest for the Final Four on Friday night, getting very little resistance from St. Peter’s in the process.

E’Twaun Moore and JuJuan Johnson had their way on offense, and Purdue’s stellar defense combined for a 65-43 victory in the second round of the Southwest region in Chicago.

Moore finished with a team-high 19 points for the Boilermakers, and Johnson scored 16 points with 16 rebounds as Purdue dominated. The Boilermakers started quickly with a 15-4 run, then opened the second half with seven consecutive points, building a 40-17 advantage.

Defensively, the Boilermakers held the Peacocks to just 29.3 percent shooting. Purdue never trailed, winning for the 26th time this season and eighth time in its past 10 games.

The Boilermakers face either Virginia Commonwealth or Georgetown in the third round on Sunday, with the winner advancing to the Sweet 16.

—30—

The Purdue Boilermakes come into the NCAA tournament following two losses in a row, after winning 25 of their first 30 games.

But that losing streak can become nothing more than a brief memory if the Boilermakers do what they’ve done most of the season when the Big Dance begins.

Purdue opens the NCAA tournament as the No. 3 seed in the Southwest, tipping off Friday in Chicago against St. Peter’s. The Boilermakers are looking to recapture the form they showed in winning 14 of 18 games in Big Ten action, including a seven-game winning streak that included consecutive victories over then No. 10 Wisconsin and then No. 3 Ohio State.

The Boilermakers enter the NCAAs on a two-game losing streak, after losing just five times in their first 30 games. Purdue’s upset loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Conference quarterfinals came on the heels of a 67-65 loss to Iowa to end the regular season.

Talented forward-center JaJuan Johnson leads Purdue in scoring (20.5 points) and rebounds (8.2), recording 10 double-doubles in 32 games to far. Johnson earned All-America honors by the United States Basketball Writers Association, and is the only active player in Division I with at least 1,800 points, 800 rebounds and 250 blocked shots in his career.

Purdue lost sophomore guard Kelsey Barlow for the rest of the season, suspending Barlow for conduct detrimental to the team on Tuesday, three days before beginning play in the NCAAs.

—30—

Purdue trailed by 14 points by halftime and never really got things going to make a run at a comeback in the second half.

The Boilermakers, usually a strong defensive team, had no answer for point guard Kalin Lucas, who scored a career-high 30 points.

JaJuan Johnson turned in another strong effort with 21 points and nine rebounds, but he didn’t get much help from his teammates.

The loss could hurt Purdue’s seeding in the NCAA tournament and could very well have secured a bid for the maddeningly inconsistent Spartans.

It certainly was not the way the Purdue Boilermakers wanted to end the regular season. But if you’re going to lose one, this wasn’t the worst time for it to happen.

Having won seven games in a row entering the regular-season finale on Saturday at Iowa, the Boilermakers were upended 67-65 by a Hawkeyes’ team that finished next-to-last in the Big Ten. Purdue shot just 36.2 percent against Iowa.

The loss kept Purdue from tying Ohio State for the conference regular-season title, but nonetheless the Boilermakers enter postseason play after a stellar regular season. Purdue, 25-6 overall on the season, opens the conference tournament as the No. 2 seed, playing Friday in Indianapolis against the Michigan State/Iowa winner. Three of Purdue’s six losses have been by four points or less.

JaJuan Johnson led the Boilermakers with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Johnson was named Big Ten player of the year on Monday.

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JaJuan Johnson was a man among boys, finishing with 20 points, 17 rebounds and seven blocks.

For Purdue, it was easily their most impressive win of the year. Blowing out Michigan State on the road is a great performance even though the Spartans have been struggling.

The defense was phenomenal. Purdue held Michigan State to just 33 percent from the floor and 1-11 from three-point range.

Purdue is making a push for a high seed in the NCAA tournament, and maybe this is the year they finally get to the Final Four.

Most teams that were 11 games above .500 in conference play would be a lock to win the league title.

Not so with Purdue. The Boilermakers are having a great season, sitting at No. 6 in the ESPN/USA Today national rankings this week.

But the Boilermakers share the same conference neighborhood as Ohio State, the No. 1 ranked team in the land this week and a legitimate national championship contender.

Purdue is 25-5 overall this season and 14-3 in Big Ten action, including a 76-63 victory over then third-ranked Ohio State on Feb. 20. The Boilermakers are one of the hottest teams in the nation as the postseason approaches, having won seven games in a row since a 66-59 loss Feb. 1 at then No. 18 Wisconsin.

The Boilermakers are poised to make plenty of noise when the conference tournament begins in Indianapolis next week. First, Purdue wraps up the regular season with a trip to Iowa on Saturday.

—30—

Purdue fought back from a five-point halftime deficit in a hostile environment to pick up a key Big 10 victory.

JaJuan Johnson lead the way with 24 points and nine rebounds, turning in another outstanding effort.

E’Twaun Moore added 20 points, and he and Johnson continue to carry the load offensively for Purdue.

The Boilermakers were able to overcome a lousy first half offensively by scoring 54 points in the second half.