PHOTO GALLERY: The Best Photos From Purdue's Win Over Penn State at the Palestra
PHILADELPHIA — The No. 1-ranked Purdue basketball team captured back-to-back wins away from West Lafayette by dominating the second half in a 76-63 victory over Penn State on Sunday at the Palestra.
Junior center Zach Edey led the team with 30 points on 14-of-21 shooting while finishing with 13 rebounds, three assists and three blocks. His effort combated a stellar performance from fifth-year senior guard Jalen Picket, who paced the Nittany Lions with 26 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Purdue trailed by as many as six points in the first half and went into the locker room down 37-31. But the team held Penn State to just 26 points in the second half, and freshmen guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer combined for 32 points in the contest.
With the win, the Boilermakers improved to 15-1 on the season and 4-1 in Big Ten play. They are 3-0 in conference games away from Mackey Arena and 4-0 overall in matchups away from home.
"We showed some resiliency being in a hostile environment," Purdue coach Matt Painter said after the win. "You can say it's a neutral court, I don't think that was a neutral court. You've got 95 percent, easily, Penn State fans."
Photo Gallery: No. 1 Purdue 76, Penn State 63
Zach Edey
Penn State Nittany Lions guard Jalen Pickett (22) drives against Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15).
Zach Edey
Penn State Nittany Lions guard Myles Dread (2) reaches for the ball against Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15).
Caleb Furst
Purdue Boilermakers forward Caleb Furst (1) controls the ball against Penn State Nittany Lions guard Evan Mahaffey (12).
Fletcher Loyer
Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) controls the ball against Penn State Nittany Lions guard Jalen Pickett (22).
Braden Smith
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) jumps for a rebound against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Ethan Morton
Penn State Nittany Lions guard Jalen Pickett (22) loses control of the ball against Purdue Boilermakers guard Ethan Morton (25).
Zach Edey
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) celebrates after scoring against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Braden Smith
Penn State Nittany Lions guard Jalen Pickett (22) defends a shot from Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3).
Mason Gillis
Purdue Boilermakers forward Mason Gillis (0) shoots against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Braden Smith
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) dribbles against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Zach Edey
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) shoots over Penn State Nittany Lions forward Kebba Njie (3).
Braden Smith
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) drives against Penn State Nittany Lions guard Jalen Pickett (22).
Fletcher Loyer
Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) shoots against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Brandon Newman
Purdue Boilermakers guard Brandon Newman (5) defends Penn State Nittany Lions guard Andrew Funk (10).
David Jenkins Jr.
Purdue Boilermakers guard David Jenkins Jr (14) dribbles against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Zach Edey
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) dunks against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Ethan Morton
Purdue Boilermakers guard Ethan Morton (25) guards Penn State Nittany Lions guard Jalen Pickett (22).
Mason Gillis
Purdue Boilermakers forward Mason Gillis (0) dribbles against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Caleb Furst
Purdue Boilermakers forward Caleb Furst (1) controls the ball against Penn State Nittany Lions guard Myles Dread (2).
The Palestra
A general view before the game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Purdue Boilermakers at The Palestra.
Related stories on Purdue basketball
- Purdue Dominates Second Half in 76-63 Win Over Penn State: Purdue junior center Zach Edey scored 30 points and came down with 13 rebounds in a dominant victory over Penn State on Sunday at the Palestra. The Boilermakers held the Nittany Lions to just 26 points in the second half. CLICK HERE
- Purdue, Penn State Live Blog at the Palestra: No. 1 Purdue basketball hit the road for a matchup with Penn State on Sunday at the Palestra in Philadelphia. Relive some of the action from the team's 76-63 win from our live blog. CLICK HERE
You can keep up to date on everything at Boilermakers Country by liking and following our Facebook page: Purdue Boilermakers on Sports Illustrated/FanNation.
You can also follow D.J. Fezler at @DJFezler on Twitter.
D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.