No. 4 Boilermakers hold off Nebraska 65-62 in overtime
AP
Dec 10, 2022
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Purdue Boilermakers star Zach Edey was getting double- and triple-teamed whenever he touched the ball in the post, his teammates weren't shooting particularly well, and Nebraska Cornhuskers reserve Keisei Tominaga was hot.
The fourth-ranked Boilermakers still passed this test, beating the Cornhuskers 65-62 in overtime Saturday in their Big Ten road opener.
''Can you can you find a way to win a game when you don't shoot the ball well? We were able to do that,'' Purdue coach Matt Painter said. ''But Nebraska deserved to win the game just as much as we did. I thought they were really good.''
Fletcher Loyer scored a season-high 22 points and fellow freshman Braden Smith made four free throws in the last 28 seconds of overtime to give Purdue (10-0, 2-0 Big Ten) two straight wins to open conference play for the first time since 2017-18.
Edey had 11 points and 17 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season, but his quiet afternoon offensively allowed the Cornhuskers (6-5, 0-2) to keep things close throughout.
''There are no moral victories, and there was a lot of dejection in that locker room,'' Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. ''The way they went out and battled, if we do that every night, we're going to have a chance.''
Purdue shot 30% after halftime and 39.7% for the game. The Huskers shot just 31.9%.
Tominaga was the exception. He had 12 of his 19 points after halftime and finished with four 3s, two coming as he led the Huskers back from a 14-point deficit in the second half and his biggest tying it 56-all with 9.1 seconds left.
The game went to overtime when Loyer was off the mark with a 3 just before the buzzer. Loyer was just 9 of 21 from the field, including 2 of 10 on 3s.
''It was there all night and a few didn't fall,'' he said, ''but they kept giving it to me, my teammates kept encouraging me to keep shooting. When they're handing it to you like that, you've got to keep attacking it.''
Tominaga's lay-up with 14 seconds left in overtime pulled the Huskers to 63-62, but C.J. Wilcher was called for a foul at midcourt and Smith made two free throws to make it a three-point game.
''We knew coming off the bench he was electric,'' Loyer said of Tominaga, ''and we kind of let him get going. He made a few very tough shots. When they're on runs like that, you've got to contain a shooter like that.''
Nebraska's Derrick Walker rebounded Sam Griesel's missed 3 but lost the ball to Smith, securing Purdue's win.
Walker and Emmanuel Bandoumel added 14 points apiece for the Huskers, and Walker had 10 rebounds.
Walker was the primary defender on the 7-foot-4 Edey, and two or three teammates would converge whenever the big man received an entry pass.
''Our effort allowed us to stay in that game and our guys kept swinging and fighting and battling,'' Hoiberg said. ''They're doing it together. That's what I'm most proud of. Unfortunately, we didn't shoot the ball very well tonight.''
BIG PICTURE
Purdue: The Boilermakers had to gut this one out as Edey was held to his lowest point total of the season. Edey also was held to his fewest shots, going 5 for 7, in 43 minutes. He blocked a career-high seven shots.
Nebraska: The Huskers finished a stretch of three games against ranked opponents, nearly beating their highest-ranked opponent since 2011.
RHULE RALLY
New Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule made a halftime appearance to speak to an enthusiastic crowd chanting ''Go Big Red!'' as he made his way to half-court.
He thanked fans for their support and told them his job is not just another job but a ''mission'' for him and his staff to return the football program to elite status. He led another round of ''Go Big Red!'' cheers as he walked off and hugged athletic director Trev Alberts at the tunnel entrance.
UP NEXT
Purdue plays Davidson in the Indy Classic in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 17.
Nebraska plays Kansas State in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, Dec. 17.
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1st Half
PUR
Boilermakers
34
NEB
Cornhuskers
24
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Zach Edey vs. Derrick Walker (Boilermakers gains possession)
19:42
+3
Fletcher Loyer makes three point jump shot (Braden Smith assists)
3-0
19:21
Sam Griesel misses two point layup
19:19
Derrick Walker offensive rebound
19:15
Emmanuel Bandoumel misses three point jump shot
19:13
Braden Smith defensive rebound
19:08
Braden Smith misses two point layup
19:06
Zach Edey offensive rebound
19:01
+2
Zach Edey makes two point layup
5-0
18:40
Sam Griesel misses two point layup
18:38
Zach Edey defensive rebound
18:29
Zach Edey turnover (bad pass) (Juwan Gary steals)
18:13
+2
Derrick Walker makes two point running layup
5-2
17:41
+2
Zach Edey makes two point alley-oop dunk (Braden Smith assists)
7-2
17:26
+3
Emmanuel Bandoumel makes three point jump shot (Derrick Walker assists)
7-5
17:10
Fletcher Loyer misses two point jump shot
17:08
Emmanuel Bandoumel defensive rebound
17:01
+2
Emmanuel Bandoumel makes two point layup
7-7
16:37
Fletcher Loyer misses three point jump shot
16:35
Derrick Walker defensive rebound
16:13
Sam Griesel misses three point jump shot
16:11
Zach Edey defensive rebound
15:58
TV timeout
15:45
Fletcher Loyer misses three point jump shot
15:43
Derrick Walker defensive rebound
15:26
Zach Edey blocks Sam Griesel's two point layup
15:24
Cornhuskers offensive rebound
15:12
Derrick Walker misses two point hook shot
15:10
Brandon Newman defensive rebound
14:56
Brandon Newman misses three point jump shot
14:54
Sam Griesel defensive rebound
14:49
Brandon Newman personal foul
14:42
C.J. Wilcher misses two point jump shot
14:40
David Jenkins Jr. defensive rebound
14:18
+2
Brandon Newman makes two point layup
9-7
13:58
Emmanuel Bandoumel misses three point jump shot
13:56
Trey Kaufman-Renn defensive rebound
13:39
Trey Kaufman-Renn misses two point layup
13:37
Juwan Gary defensive rebound
13:23
+2
Derrick Walker makes two point driving layup
9-9
13:03
Braden Smith misses three point jump shot
13:01
Keisei Tominaga defensive rebound
12:54
C.J. Wilcher misses three point jump shot
12:52
Braden Smith defensive rebound
12:28
Brandon Newman misses two point jump shot
12:26
Juwan Gary defensive rebound
12:14
Keisei Tominaga misses two point jump shot
12:12
Trey Kaufman-Renn defensive rebound
11:58
Brandon Newman misses three point jump shot
11:56
Brandon Newman offensive rebound
11:52
TV timeout
11:36
+3
David Jenkins Jr. makes three point jump shot
12-9
11:07
Wilhelm Breidenbach misses three point jump shot
11:05
Blaise Keita offensive rebound
11:07
Caleb Furst personal foul
10:58
Jamarques Lawrence misses two point layup
10:56
Blaise Keita offensive rebound
10:52
+2
Blaise Keita makes two point layup
12-11
10:33
Jamarques Lawrence shooting foul (Trey Kaufman-Renn draws the foul)
10:33
Trey Kaufman-Renn misses regular free throw 1 of 2
10:33
+1
Trey Kaufman-Renn makes regular free throw 2 of 2
13-11
10:18
Keisei Tominaga misses three point jump shot
10:16
Brian Waddell defensive rebound
10:09
+2
Caleb Furst makes two point layup
15-11
9:48
Wilhelm Breidenbach misses two point layup
9:46
Wilhelm Breidenbach offensive rebound
9:41
+2
Wilhelm Breidenbach makes two point layup
15-13
9:27
Ethan Morton misses three point jump shot
9:27
Trey Kaufman-Renn offensive rebound
9:27
Wilhelm Breidenbach personal foul
9:21
+2
David Jenkins Jr. makes two point fadeaway jump shot
17-13
8:51
Emmanuel Bandoumel misses two point jump shot
8:49
Zach Edey defensive rebound
8:33
Sam Griesel personal foul
8:28
Juwan Gary blocks Fletcher Loyer's two point layup
8:26
Boilermakers offensive rebound
8:16
+2
Fletcher Loyer makes two point jump shot (Ethan Morton assists)
19-13
7:46
+3
Emmanuel Bandoumel makes three point jump shot (Sam Griesel assists)