WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Zach Edey scored 30 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, and No. 1 Purdue made 11 3-pointers Saturday in a 95-78 rout of Penn State.
The Boilermakers (15-2, 4-2 Big Ten) rebounded from their second loss of the season with their 10th consecutive home victory and their eighth straight in a series they’ve dominated. Lance Jones had 14 points, Fletcher Loyer added 11 and Braden Smith tied his career high with 11 assists.
Nick Kern Jr. had a career-high 18 points to lead Penn State and Kanye Clary added 16. The Nittany Lions (8-9, 2-4) have lost three of four overall.
But this was a complete a mismatch and Purdue took full advantage.
Edey finished the first half with 19 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two blocks while going 6 of 6 from the field. He finished the game 10 of 12 from the field.
His supporting cast was strong early, too. The Boilermakers made 8 of 16 3s and closed their highest scoring half of the season with a 56-36 halftime lead. And all it took was one solid flurry.
Camden Heide’s 3 with 15:13 left in the half gave Purdue an 11-10 lead and spurred a 31-5 run, forcing the Nittany Lions to take a timeout twice. When the run ended, the Boilermakers led 39-15.
The Nittany Lions responded with a flurry of 3s late in the first half but never got closer than 14.
THE TAKEAWAY
Penn State: It’s been an up-and-down first season for coach Mike Rhoades and this revamped roster. At times, the Nittany Lions have shown promise. But against this size, depth, experience and talent, they didn’t have a chance against Purdue.
Purdue: If there’s a common thread for the Boilermakers it’s this: They’re not losing back-to-back games. They played with the edge that coach Matt Painter wants, which was missing earlier this week in the loss at Nebraska. Purdue can’t afford to lose that edge again if it hopes to defend its regular-season conference title.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Boilermakers’ four-week reign at No. 1 may end despite four of the top five ranked teams losing before the weekend began. Can they extend the nation’s longest active streak of top-five rankings to 27? Stay tuned.
UP NEXT
Penn State: Hopes to hand No. 15 Wisconsin its first conference loss on Tuesday in State College.
Purdue: Visits archrival Indiana on Tuesday.
