Zach Edey Dominates in Purdue Basketball's 80-66 Win Over Ohio State

Junior center Zach Edey scored 32 points to lead Purdue past Ohio State and into the Big Ten Men's Basketball tournament title game. The Boilermakers trailed by as many as eight points in the first half but went on a 17-3 run before halftime.

CHICAGO — Ohio State had no answer for Purdue center Zach Edey, and with a trip to the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament championship game on the line, the 7-foot-4 junior piled on 32 points and came down with 14 rebounds.

Edey wasn’t efficient in his shot attempts, going just 12-of-25 from the field on Saturday in an 80-66 victory at the United Center. But with that number of quality looks around the rim, the Boilermakers generated strong runs in both halves to pick up its third win of the season agaisnt the Buckeyes.

"It just makes a lot of sense just to get him the basketball, get them in foul trouble, get to the free-throw line, and try to steal as many points as possible," Purdue coach Matt Painter said after the game.

Despite being without star freshman forward Brice Sensabaugh (knee) for the matchup, Ohio State was firing on all cylinders offensively to open the first half, and all Purdue could do was keep pace.

The Boilermakers found an early advantage by making its first three 3-pointers. But freshman guard Roddy Gayle Jr. kickstarted a 10-0 Buckeyes run that gave them a 26-19 lead with 10:15 left to play before halftime.

Gayle scored 16 of his team-high 20 points in the opening period, shooting 5-of-6 from range. Redshirt senior forward Justice Sueing added a pair of 3-pointers of his own, and Ohio State led by as many as eight before the second half.

But that eight-point hole was the largest of the game for Purdue, and the team responded in a big way before the break. Edey notched 17 points in the first half, and the Boilermakers outscored the Buckeyes 23-8 in the final 10 minutes to go into the locker room with a 42-34 halftime lead.

“They were hitting a lot of shots we kind of wanted them to take,” Edey said. “They were making a lot of really tough plays. It seemed like every shot they put up was going in. So we just kind of stuck with our game plan. We trusted our game plan above all else.”

Before the buzzer, senior guard David Jenkins Jr. buried a pull-up 3-pointer from the top of the key, one of two shots he hit from beyond the arc in a 17-3 run to end the half. Purdue had five 3-pointers in the first half and ended 7-of-15 from deep.

“We all can shoot,” Purdue freshman point guard Braden Smith said. “We knew that coming into the season. Early on, we hadn't shot it well. We're starting to figure it out, so it's obviously really nice when you're making shots. Being able to have that kind of sets the tone.”

Purdue looked to separate itself from Ohio State to start the second half, and Smith was responsible for two of the team’s first three buckets after the break, including a 3-pointer.

The first-year guard finished with 14 points, making all five of his shots while adding five rebounds and five assists.

“His game was really polished for how young he is at this point,” Purdue junior guard Brandon Newman said. “He can pass and shoot. He's got a really good feel for the game.”

But when the basketball wasn’t finding the bottom of the net, the Boilermakers watched as the Buckeyes brought the game to within six points. Over the span of nearly seven minutes, the team made just one shot from the field.

A big part of Purdue’s scoring in the second half came from free throws. The team was 17-of-22 at the line and Edey finished 8-of-11.

Sueing and freshman guard Bruce Thornton each logged nine points in the final period for the Buckeyes, but a 12-2 run gave the Boilermakers their largest lead of the game, 73-57, with 2:19 left to play.

Newman had eight points in the final three minutes and finished with 15 on 5-of-7 shooting. In 32 minutes on the floor, he tallied three assists and three rebounds without a turnover

“I thought Brandon Newman really stepped up and played well,” Painter said. “He did a good job guarding Bruce Thornton, he didn't turn the basketball over and just made some key plays for us.”

Purdue now awaits the winner of a matchup between Indiana and Penn State. The championship final is scheduled to tip off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Against the Nittany Lions, the Boilermakers would play against former assistant coach Micah Shrewsberry. But a game with Hoosiers gives the Boilermakers a third chance to win after being swept by their in-state rival during the regular season.

“I always want to see him win, unless it's against us, because he helped me so much my freshman year,” Edey said of Shrewsberry. “I want to see him win, but I also want to play IU.”

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