How Purdue basketball withstood Alabama's outside shooting to win Zach Edey's homecoming
TORONTO — Zach Edey wasn't going to lose his Canadian homecoming game.
Purdue basketball's unstoppable force scored 35 points and was a perfect 11 of 11 from the free throw line in the fourth-ranked Boilermakers' 92-86 victory over Alabama at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Purdue withstood 19 made 3s by the Crimson Tide and a Mark Sears scoring extravaganza to improve to 9-1 with top-ranked Arizona looming next.
"Not a fun game to coach but it was a fun game to play in and to watch," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "The way they came out in the first half, it was like they were never going to miss."
Alabama scored the game's first eight points, aided by a pair of 3-pointers that set the tone for a first half where the Crimson Tide were a scorching 13 of 24 from beyond the arc.
Purdue kept pace, trailing 49-47 at halftime, but every time the Boilermakers closed within a possession, the Crimson Tide had a response.
That remained the case until Mason Gillis' 3 with 11:20 to go gave the Boilermakers their first lead. Braden Smith hit a 3 on the next trip down, surging Purdue from what was a deficit as large as 12.
It was over when
Edey's two free throws put Purdue ahead 89-84 with 1:05 to go.
Sensing Alabama was going to Sears, Lance Jones stepped into a passing lane and intercepted a kickout to Sears.
That seemed to be Alabama's best chance at coming back.
Braden Smith made two free throws with three seconds left to seal the Purdue victory in a wildly entertaining offensive slugfest.
It was a win that exemplified how deep Painter is willing to go on his bench to find the right lineup for the situation. Needing defense on the floor, Painter elected to go with Edey and Caleb Furst, a tandem that started alongside each other last season, rather than Edey and Trey Kaufman-Renn. Myles Colvin and Camden Heide combined for 24 minutes.
3 stars
■ Zach Edey, Purdue: Was this the best version of Zach Edey? No. But if 35 points isn't your best, then you're pretty damn good. There aren't many college basketball players in history who were better than Edey is right now.
■ Braden Smith, Purdue: The Boilermaker point guard got brought back down to Earth with a heat check 3-point attempt from well beyond the arc. But before that, he was sparking the Purdue comeback. Smith finished with 27 points and 8 assists.
■ Mark Sears, Alabama: The senior guard couldn't miss in an opening half where he scored 15 points and was 4 of 5 from 3. Sears cooled down in the second half, but only slightly. He finished with 35 points and made eight 3s.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Zach Edey scores 35 in return to Canada, leads Purdue past Alabama
