It did not matter that the Purdue Boilermakers were playing a team that was on the court for the third time in five days.

Instead, the Boilermakers were powerless to slow down Virginia Commonwealth in the third round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday. VCU took it to Purdue, bouncing the Boilermakers 94-76 in the Southwest regional in Chicago.

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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When the Purdue Boilermakers open play in the NCAA tournament, the Boilermakers win with regularity.

They did it again Friday night in the Boilermakers’ first game in this year’s Big Dance, Purdue using stifling defense to rip St. Peter’s 65-43 in the second round of the Southwest region in Chicago.

E’Twaun Moore and JuJuan Johnson provided all the offense the Boilermakers needed on this night. Moore scored a team-high 19 points, and Johnson added 16 points and 16 rebounds. Purdue 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. It was Purdue’s 13th consecutive NCAA tournament opening-game victory.

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

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An upset loss to Michigan State may have ended the Purdue Boilermakers’ hopes of winning the Big Ten Conference title, but there are bigger goals now in front of the Boilermakers.

Purdue opens the NCAA tournament as the No. 3 seed in the Southwest, aiming to make a run to the Final Four in Houston.

The Boilermakers begin their NCAA journey against St. Peter’s on Friday in Chicago. In doing so, the Boilermakers seek 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.

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Its seven-game winning streak finished, the Purdue Boilermakers now look ahead to starting a new streak that they hope will carry them to the Big Ten Conference championship.

The Boilermakers were knocked off by Iowa 67-65 on Saturday in the regular-season finale. Purdue shot just 36.2 percent against Iowa, the next-to-last place team in the Big Ten.

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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Twenty-five victories and a 14-3 record in Big Ten play have positioned the Purdue Boilermakers for big things when the postseason arrives.

The Boilermakers sit at No. 6 in this week’s ESPN/USA Today national rankings. But the Boilermakers don’t lead the conference, despite their impressive play this season. Purdue trails Ohio State, the No. 1 ranked team in the land this week and a legitimate national championship contender.

Despite the presence of the top-ranked team in the land in the conference, Purdue nonetheless has put together a fantastic season to this point. The Boilermakers are 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.

And Purdue looks to be peaking at the right time. 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.

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One week after falling to Notre Dame in its season opener, the Purdue Boilermakers bounced back in their 2010 home opener.

Robert Marve passed for 171 yards and a touchdown, and 10 points in the final 18 seconds of the first half sparked the Boilermakers past Western Illinois, 31-21.

Dan Dierking rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns for the Boilermakers. After his touchdown late in the first half, Western Illinois fumbled the ensuing kickoff. Josh Johnson recovered, setting up Carson Wiggs’ 36-yard field goal that made it 17-7 Purdue at halftime.

Ryan Kerrigan finished with 12 tackles, four for loss, both career highs. He also recorded a sack and forced a fumble.

Purdue plays host to Ball State this Saturday.

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Only three points in the first three quarters wasn’t enough to position the Purdue Boilermakers for a fourth-quarter comeback.

In the Boliermakers’ season opener Saturday at Notre Dame, Purdue had little trouble moving the ball against the Fighting Irish. But putting it in the end zone was the problem, and it spelled a 23-12 defeat to Notre Dame.

Purdue matched Notre Dame in first downs (20), rushed for 15 more yards and held the ball for 10 more minutes. But two turnovers and some untimely penalties hurt the Boilermakers.

Purdue’s lone score in the opening three quarters came on a 25-yard field goal from Carson Wiggs with 3:50 left in the second quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Boilermakers got a safety and a 23-yard touchdown run from Robert Marve.

Purdue plays its home opener Saturday against Western Illinois.

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The preseason accolades keep rolling in for Ryan Kerrigan.

The Purdue standout defensive end has landed on another watch list for postseason awards, the latest being the Chuck Bednarik Award. Kerrigan is one of 60 players named to the watch list for the award that goes to the top defensive player in the nation.

It’s the fifth watch on which Kerrigan finds himself entering the 2010 season, along with the Lott Trophy, the Lombardi Award, the Ted Hendricks Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Kerrigan grabbed plenty of attention in 2009, leading the Big Ten and finishing third in the nation with 13 sacks. His 21 career sacks ranks tied for fifth in Purdue history, and he tied a school record by forcing seven fumbles in 2009.

Purdue kicks off the 2010 season at Notre Dame on Sept. 4.

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Having won 15 times in their past 17 games, the Purdue Boilermakers believed they belonged in the Sweet 16.

For 30 minutes Friday night in the South Regional semifinals in Houston, the Boilermakers showed their belief had validity. But in the end, top seed Duke had too much power inside, too much rebounding prowess, and that was enough for the Blue Devils to knock the Boilermakers out of the NCAA Tournament, 70-57.

JaJuan Johnson led Purdue (29-6) with 23 points and also pulled down a team-best five rebounds. The Boilermakers, who played well in the season’s final weeks despite not having injured scorer Robbie Hummel, could’ve used Hummel against the powerful Blue Devils.

Purdue kept it close, the game being very tight for the first 30 minutes. But with Purdue within three points at the midpoint of the second half, Duke then pulled away with a 28-18 run to close the contest.

Purdue shot just 37 percent from the field and had trouble with Duke’s physical frontcourt throughout the contest.

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It’s been 30 years since the Purdue Boilermakers have played in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

Should Purdue win Friday night, it will post victory No. 30 of the season, and will move one win away from a long-awaited return to the Final Four.

Purdue takes on Duke in the South Regional semifinals in Houston. Many across the nation will give the nod to the Blue Devils, the champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference who perennially are in the hunt for a Final Four berth each season. But Purdue has proven this season it belongs in the conversation when talk turns to best teams in the nation.

The Boilermakers have won 15 of their past 17 games. Since a three-game losing streak in mid-January, Purdue has lost just to Michigan State and Minnesota. In the NCAA Tournament, Purdue has grinded out tough wins over Siena and, in overtime, Texas A&M.

The key would appear to be holding Duke’s offense in check. The Blue Devils average 77.6 points per game on offense. Purdue, by comparison, has not allowed more than 70 points in a game in its past 13 games.

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