Zach Edey matches season high with 35 points, helps No. 3 Purdue bounce back and beat Michigan 84-76
AP
Feb 26, 2024
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) Zach Edey took advantage of Michigan Wolverines's attempts to defend him with only one player.
Edey matched his season high with 35 points and had 15 rebounds, helping No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers bounce back from a rough start to beat the Wolverines 84-76 on Sunday.
“I’m used to getting doubled as soon as I catch it, as soon as I dribble, but they wanted to play me 1 on 1," he said. "My teammates recognized that and got me the ball a lot. I just tried to do what I do.”
The 7-foot-4 Edey made 14 of 18 shots and scored 35 points for the third time this season, falling three short of equaling his career high.
“He probably would have scored 35 on me too," said Michigan coach Juwan Howard, a member of the school's Fab Five and a former NBA standout.
The Boilermakers (25-3, 14-3 Big Ten) are closing in on winning a second straight conference championship, building a 2 1/2-game lead over No. 12 Illinois with three regular-season games left on their schedule.
The Wolverines (8-20, 3-14) moved closer to clinching last place in the Big Ten with their fifth straight loss and 10th setback in 11 games under their embattled coach.
Michigan saw about half of its arena filled with black-and-gold-wearing fans chanting and cheering for the visitors, eight days after Michigan State fans in the stands made it look and sound as if the Wolverines were playing on the road.
“It felt like Mackey Arena in there tonight," Michigan senior forward Terrance Williams II said.
Matt Painter, who played at Purdue in the early 1990s and has coached there for nearly two decades, said he had never had a similar experience on the road in the Big Ten.
“I told our guys at halftime, 'This might never happen again, so give them something to cheer about,'” Painter said.
Dug McDaniel had 19 points and six assists for the Wolverines, who had four more scorers reach double digits.
As usual, Edey had a few teammates contributing offensively. Lance Jones scored 15, Braden Smith had 11 points and Fletcher Loyer added nine.
The Wolverines played well early in the game and led 22-15 before Purdue took control for good, surging into a 47-36 lead at halftime.
“Michigan just played better than us in the first 10 minutes of the game,” Painter said. “To our guys credit, our guys stayed with it and just made more shots.”
Michigan pulled within seven points midway through the second half, Edey answered with consecutive layups and the Boilermakers were able to keep a relatively comfortable cushion.
BIG PICTURE
Purdue: Edey had another dominant performance, perhaps increasing his chances to repeat as The Associated Press men’s college basketball player of the year.
Michigan: Howard has a chance to set a single-season school record for losses, faring worse than John Beilein's first team did with a 10-22 record during the 2007-08 season.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Boilermakers might move up Monday in the AP Top 25 because they also routed Rutgers 96-68 and top-ranked UConn lost by 19 points to Creighton.
UP NEXT
Purdue: Hosts Michigan State on Saturday night.
Michigan: At Rutgers on Thursday night.
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1st Half
PUR
Boilermakers
47
MICH
Wolverines
36
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Zach Edey vs. Tarris Reed Jr. (Boilermakers gains possession)
19:37
Fletcher Loyer misses three point jump shot
19:35
Zach Edey offensive rebound
19:29
Zach Edey misses two point jump shot
19:27
Will Tschetter defensive rebound
19:11
Dug McDaniel misses two point jump shot
19:09
Lance Jones defensive rebound
19:06
Lance Jones misses two point jump shot
19:04
Tarris Reed Jr. personal foul (Lance Jones draws the foul)
19:02
Zach Edey misses two point hook shot
18:59
Trey Kaufman-Renn personal foul (Tarris Reed Jr. draws the foul)
18:36
+2
Tarris Reed Jr. makes two point jump shot (Will Tschetter assists)
0-2
18:11
Fletcher Loyer misses two point layup
18:09
Wolverines defensive rebound
17:59
+3
Dug McDaniel makes three point jump shot
0-5
17:34
+2
Zach Edey makes two point hook shot
2-5
17:07
Will Tschetter turnover (bad pass) (Lance Jones steals)
16:55
Braden Smith turnover (lost ball) (Nimari Burnett steals)
16:48
+2
Terrance Williams II makes two point jump shot
2-7
16:48
Lance Jones shooting foul (Terrance Williams II draws the foul)
16:48
Terrance Williams II misses regular free throw 1 of 1
16:48
Fletcher Loyer defensive rebound
16:25
+2
Braden Smith makes two point jump shot
4-7
16:13
+3
Dug McDaniel makes three point jump shot (Tarris Reed Jr. assists)
4-10
15:50
Will Tschetter personal foul (Zach Edey draws the foul)
15:50
TV timeout
15:50
Tarris Reed Jr. personal foul (Trey Kaufman-Renn draws the foul)
15:39
Fletcher Loyer misses three point jump shot
15:37
Zach Edey offensive rebound
15:29
+3
Lance Jones makes three point jump shot (Zach Edey assists)
7-10
15:13
+2
Will Tschetter makes two point jump shot
7-12
14:53
Trey Kaufman-Renn misses two point layup
14:51
Zach Edey offensive rebound
14:46
+2
Zach Edey makes two point dunk
9-12
14:38
Dug McDaniel misses three point jump shot
14:37
Trey Kaufman-Renn defensive rebound
14:37
Tray Jackson personal foul (Trey Kaufman-Renn draws the foul)
14:21
Zach Edey misses two point hook shot
14:19
Terrance Williams II defensive rebound
14:12
+2
Tray Jackson makes two point dunk (Terrance Williams II assists)
9-14
13:57
Ethan Morton misses three point jump shot
13:56
Tray Jackson personal foul (Ethan Morton draws the foul)
13:52
Braden Smith misses two point jump shot
13:50
Braden Smith offensive rebound
13:46
Braden Smith misses two point jump shot
13:46
Zach Edey offensive rebound
13:46
Nimari Burnett shooting foul (Fletcher Loyer draws the foul)
13:46
+1
Fletcher Loyer makes regular free throw 1 of 2
10-14
13:46
+1
Fletcher Loyer makes regular free throw 2 of 2
11-14
13:26
+2
Jace Howard makes two point jump shot (Terrance Williams II assists)
11-16
13:11
+2
Zach Edey makes two point dunk (Braden Smith assists)
13-16
12:51
+2
Dug McDaniel makes two point hook shot
13-18
12:51
Zach Edey shooting foul (Dug McDaniel draws the foul)
12:49
+1
Dug McDaniel makes regular free throw 1 of 1
13-19
12:37
Braden Smith misses two point jump shot
12:35
Wolverines defensive rebound
12:22
Terrance Williams II misses three point jump shot
12:19
Nimari Burnett personal foul (Braden Smith draws the foul)