Stifling. Smothering. Relentless.

All of these words have been used to describe Michigan’s defense this year, but the best description was probably the one Big Ten Network analyst gave during the broadcast of Michigan’s 70-53 road trouncing of Purdue.

“They come at you in waves,” he said.

It’s deflating for opponents, and it was again last night. The Boilermakers got to the rim at times, but when they did, they often couldn’t finish. They blamed themselves, but the Wolverines’ length stymied them time and again, altering shots and holding the Boilermakers to 31 percent shooting.

Purdue was without sharpshooter Sasha Stefanovic, one of the Big Ten’s top marksmen from deep, but making triples wasn’t the Boilers’ biggest problem Friday night. They had a hard time just getting decent looks from long range, challenged on every touch in finishing 2-for-12 from three-point range.