Difference makers: For second straight year, Gonzaga struggles to slow Purdue's Zach Edey in 73-63 loss at Maui Invitational
Nov. 20—Zach Edey
The Zags didn't get any bigger in the offseason, so Purdue's 7-foot-4, 300-pound center presented the same problems he did last year while scoring 23 points and grabbing seven rebounds on the second day of the Phil Knight Legacy in Portland. Edey got to the foul line more in Monday's rematch and capitalized on those opportunities, finishing 9 of 10. Edey, who makes around 60% of his field goals, was held to 4 of 11 in the first half but finished the game 8 of 16 from the field and led all scorers with 25 points. The senior from Toronto finished with 14 rebounds — five of them on the offensive glass — and blocked three Gonzaga shots.
Ike played more than 20 minutes in a game for the first time since Wyoming's NCAA Tournament opener against Indiana in 2022. The forward, who spent his offseason recovering from foot surgery, was the first player in Monday's game to reach double figures, knocking down two 3-pointers inside the first 10 minutes, and he led the Bulldogs in scoring with 14 points despite spending much of the second half in foul trouble. After giving the Zags 20 minutes in the season opener and 18 against Eastern Oregon, Ike played 27 on Monday and spent most of the game wrestling down low with Purdue's 7-footer. Ike finished 6 of 10 from the field, 2 of 6 from the 3-point line and led the Bulldogs with seven rebounds.
Turning point
Edey's teammates didn't offer the big man much in the way of help in the first half, but that changed after the break. Lance Jones scored two points before halftime but took over early in the second half, scoring seven points inside the first four minutes and 11 inside the first 10. Jones helped the Boilermakers take control in the second half after trailing 35-30 at halftime — the decisive run coming during a four-minute stretch when Purdue went on an 8-0 run to take a 48-43 lead. Edey opened the spurt with consecutive baskets, both coming after offensive rebounds, before Jones and Camden Heide chipped in to make it a five-point game. A 10-2 run later in the half helped Purdue break the game open and the Boilermakers led by as many as 14 points with three minutes remaining.
