Purdue basketball, Zach Edey bounce back in dominant win over Penn State
WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue basketball had no Nebraska hangover.
With National Player of the Year Zach Edey leading the charge, the No. 1-ranked Boilermakers were dominant Saturday afternoon.
With the student section back in Mackey Arena and back on its home court, Purdue (15-2, 4-2) pounded Penn State 95-78.
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Edey was his usual unstoppable force, but Purdue's offense got plenty of help from everyone else.
Myles Colvin provided a nice boost at the end of the first half with five points and an assist as nine different Purdue players scored in the first 20 minutes.
It was over when
Penn State took advantage of four early Purdue turnovers and led 10-8.
The Boilermakers responded with a 27-2 run.
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The run started with Purdue hitting seven straight shots, including two 3s from Braden Smith, and additional treys from Mason Gillis and Fletcher Loyer.
The Boilermakers turned a 10-8 deficit into a 35-12 lead and was able to maintain that gap. Mason Gillis' four-point play with 14:04 to go in the second half pushed Purdue's lead to 28 points.
Zach Edey watch
Edey got in first half foul trouble the last two games.
His production was still good. Against Illinois and Nebraska, Edey averaged 12.5 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks on 73.3 percent shooting.
Offensively, he wasn't as dominant as we've come to expect.
Penn State found out Edey can still take over a game.
The 7-foot-4 senior center had 19 points and 13 rebounds in the first half alone. He finished with 30 points on 10 of 12 shooting and added 20 rebounds, his 10th career game of at least 30 points and 10 boards. Edey also had 3 assists and 3 blocks. Edey is just the third player since 2010-11 to have a 30-20-3-3 stat line.
3 stars
Braden Smith, Purdue: Smith hit two 3s early when Purdue needed it, then controlled the offense to near perfection. Smith had 11 assists, his third game with double digits this season. Smith also had 6 points and 4 rebounds.
Mason Gillis, Purdue: The Boilermakers seem to be their best when the redshirt senior forward is on the floor. He had just 7 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists, but Purdue was plus-30 with Gillis in the game.
Camden Heide, Purdue: The redshirt freshman got extended minutes and started the second half Tuesday at Nebraska. Heide, known for his high flying, has shown he's an additional shooter on the floor. Heide was 2-for-2 from 3-point range, finishing with 8 points. He's now 11 of 20 from 3 this season.
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: Purdue basketball, Zach Edey dominate Penn State
