The Bench Mob to the Rescue: How Purdue’s Reserves Saved the Day Against Iowa

If you walked into Mackey Arena on Wednesday night expecting a coronation for the 100th consecutive sellout for Purdue basketball, you walked into the wrong building.

For a significant chunk of the evening, the vibe wasn’t celebratory; it was tense. It was the kind of nervous energy that makes you chew your fingernails down to the quick. Iowa didn’t come to West Lafayette to hand out gift baskets. They came to spoil the party, and for a while there, it looked like they were going to pull it off.

Let’s be honest: Purdue played with fire. But thanks to a “bench mob” that refused to quit, the Boilermakers didn’t get burned.

The Starters Stumble and the Anxiety Sets In

Here is the nightmare scenario for any coach, let alone Matt Painter: Your big men get whistled for breathing wrong, and your All-American point guard decides to take the first half off.

That’s exactly what happened. Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff spent most of the first half glued to the pine, casualties of the whistle. They were spectators in their own gym. To make matters worse, Braden Smith—the engine that usually drives this Ferrari—went scoreless in the first 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, Iowa was shooting like the rim was the size of a hula hoop. They were raining threes, knocking down 7-of-10 from deep in the first half. Bennett Stirtz was carving up the defense, and the Boilermakers’ perimeter defense looked about as watertight as a screen door on a submarine.

Trailing 48-39 in the second half, the groan inside Mackey was audible. The “undefeated in the Big Ten” narrative was on life support. Painter needed a spark. He didn’t just need a bucket; he needed a defibrillator.

Unsung Heroes: Purdue’s Bench Depth shines

This is where the beauty of college basketball happens. It’s not always the guys on the poster who win you the game. Sometimes, it’s the guys whose names you have to double-check in the program.

When the starters faltered, the reserves didn’t just step up; they saved the season’s momentum.

First, there was Jack Benter. When Kaufman-Renn sat down, Benter came in and casually drilled back-to-back threes like he was shooting around in his driveway. Then there was Daniel Jacobsen. The 7-foot-4 center provided exactly what Purdue was missing: grit.

He cleaned the glass, grabbing seven rebounds in the first half alone, and finished with nine boards and a block. He was a nuisance in the paint, a disruptive force that kept Iowa from running away with it.

“That’s what you have to have, …You have to be able to have depth where other guys step up.”

Gicarri Harris and the “Basketball Gods”

If Benter and Jacobsen kept the ship afloat, Gicarri Harris was the one who steered it into port.

The sophomore guard played with the kind of manic energy that changes outcomes. We aren’t just talking about scoring—though we’ll get to that. We’re talking about active hands and hustle. Harris checked in during the second half and immediately turned into a thief.

Less than two minutes after subbing in? A steal leading to a Jacobsen putback. A minute later? Another steal leading to a Fletcher Loyer bucket. Suddenly, that nine-point deficit was gone.

But the moment of the night—the sequence that will be on the highlight reel—came with just under seven minutes left. Iowa had just retaken the lead. The tension was back. Harris, unfazed, pulled up and buried a three-pointer to put Purdue up 62-61.

The roof nearly blew off Mackey Arena. Purdue never trailed again. Harris, in a moment of pure candor post-game, credited divine intervention.

“That shot in the second half, I knew it was good — I think it was the basketball gods rewarding me,”

Maybe it was the gods. Or maybe it was just a kid playing his heart out when his team needed him most.

A Win is a Win (Even the Ugly Ones)

Look, was this a masterclass in defensive dominance? Absolutely not. Purdue’s perimeter defense is still a concern that will keep fans up at night. Allowing Iowa to shoot nearly 50% from three is a recipe for an early exit in March if it’s not fixed.

And yes, it took Braden Smith waking up in the second half (finishing with 16 points and 8 assists) to seal the deal.

But in the Big Ten, you don’t apologize for winning ugly. You take the W, you learn from the scare, and you move on. The bench unit finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and the game-winning momentum. They proved that this team isn’t just a one or two-man show.

Purdue stays undefeated in the conference (6-0) and keeps the train rolling. But they should probably buy Gicarri Harris and the rest of the reserves a steak dinner. They earned it.