After a second straight game of struggling with its shot, Purdue hopes a return home might help end its woes.
The 22nd-ranked Boilermakers play at Mackey Arena for the first time in over a week when they host Alabama on Saturday.
Purdue (6-1) won its first four games at home while averaging 87.0 points and shooting 48.3 percent. In the three games since, two at a neutral site for the Chicago Invitational Challenge, the Boilermakers have averaged 63.7 points and shot 36.9 percent.
After making 30.2 percent of their attempts in a 65-54 loss to Richmond in the Chicago Invitational championship game last Saturday, they overcame some offensive struggles in a 58-55 overtime victory at Virginia Tech on Wednesday.
Purdue shot 36.2 percent, but the Hokies shot 34.5 percent. JaJuan Johnson scored a season-high 29 points, including the tying shot in regulation with 9 seconds left and the go-ahead basket with 1:27 remaining in overtime.
"That's what it's all about - being able to go on the road and grind out a victory when it's not all that pretty," coach Matt Painter said. "You hang on your defense and being more scrappy than the other team."
Painter's team will try to avoid bringing that lackluster play home, where it has won 19 straight against unranked, non-conference opponents. The Boilermakers played Alabama (4-3) on the road last year, overcoming a 16-point second-half deficit to win 73-65.
Alabama is looking to win its third straight after beating South Alabama 72-50 on Wednesday.
The Crimson Tide shot a season-best 53.8 percent and overcame a season-high 22 turnovers. Tony Mitchell had a season-best 20 points and 13 rebounds for his second straight double-double.
The sophomore swingman is averaging 13.9 points and 9.1 rebounds.
"Tony ... with every game continues to learn and improve as a player," coach Anthony Grant said. "He has a chance to be one of the elite players in the league. With Tony it's just a matter of consistent effort."
Mitchell has had to step up because of the absence of another top contributor. Starting forward JaMychal Green has sat out the last two games after being suspended indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the team," according to Grant.
Green was Alabama's top returning scorer after averaging 14.1 points and 7.2 rebounds last season.
"JaMychal and I met the other day and we had a good conversation. As of now, nothing has changed," Grant said Wednesday. "Obviously the team is focused on the present and right now JaMychal is not here. You have to just control the things that you can control. My focus is just on our team getting better."
Despite the absence of Green, the Tide have still outrebounded their last three opponents by an average of 10.3. Purdue has struggled on the glass, getting outrebounded in its last two games.
The Boilermakers lead the series against the Tide 4-2. Alabama won 85-77 in double overtime in its last visit to Mackey Arena in the 2001 NIT.
