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Braden Smith was near perfect and Zach Edey scored 32 and 14 as Purdue advances in Big Ten Tournament play
The Purdue Boilermakers have won the Big Ten Conference by three games, and their third tournament win on Sunday would also give them the Big Ten Tournament title. Purdue defeated Ohio State in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament, 80-66.
Big Ten Player of the Year Zach Edey was the best player on the floor as he has been all season, aided by true freshman Braden Smith.
Both teams started hot, Roddy Gayle Jr. hit 5 3-pointers in the first half for Ohio State, and Purdue shot 5 of 6 as a perimeter team, but Purdue’s size and depth were too much for an Ohio State team missing two starters, Zed Key and Brice Sensabaugh.
Zach Edey didn’t shoot the ball well by his standards, making just 12 of 25 attempts, but finished the game with 32 points with 14 rebounds and 3 assists.
Braden Smith was nearly flawless, making all 5 of his shots from the floor while orchestrating his team’s offense. The true rookie had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, while turning the ball over only once in 30 minutes of action.
Brandon Newman continues to provide a spark for Matt Painter, starting the game by knocking down a 3-pointer on Purdue’s first possession and scoring 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field.
Purdue will now move on to the Big Ten Tournament Championship where they will play either Penn State or Indiana on Sunday afternoon before Selection Sunday.
1st half
Purdue got off to a much better start against Ohio State with Felix Okpara missing a long jumper and Brandon Newman hitting a 3-pointer on the other end to give Purdue a 3-0 lead early.
Ohio State’s first basket came on an alley-oop layup by Felix Okpara that ended after rolling to the rim.
Fletcher Loyer then drove for Purdue, got an open 3-pointer from the top of the arc to bounce off the front of the rim, then lay in to give Purdue an early 6-2 lead.
Braden Smith then found Zach Edey in the post who hit a hook shot to give the Boilers a six point lead.
Okpara responded again for Ohio State, returning the rebound to fall 8-4.
Then Zach Edey got another look from Brandon Newman and the big man finished a hook shot on the block to give Purdue a 10.
Roddy Gayle Jr. he sped past Mason Gillis and drew a foul at the rim and made one of two free throws to cut the lead to five. Justice Sueing followed with the Buckeyes’ first 3-pointer on their next possession to cut Ohio State’s deficit to just 10-8.
Zach Edey then found Caleb Furst for a dunk on an inbounds play, but Ohio State answered again by finding Okpara at the rim for a dunk of his own.
Purdue’s lead was only 12-10, but Braden Smith’s 3-pointer put Purdue back up 5 five minutes into the game.
But Roddy Gayle Jr. was about to catch fire for Ohio State. He knocked down another 3-pointer to cut the lead to 15-13.
Edey then found Furst again on the baseline for a dunk after a double play.
But Gayle Jr. responded with his second three-pointer of the game. Purdue’s lead was only 17-16.
Edey would miss a long shot, but Caleb Furst was there to make up for the miss and finish with his opposite hand to give Purdue a 19-16 lead.
Gayle Jr. he opened again after a nice pass down the court and hit his third 3-pointer of the game to tie the game at 19.
Isaac Likekele then crashed into Fletcher Loyer and drew a foul at the rim. He missed the free throw, but his layup gave Ohio State its first lead of the game, 21-19.
Purdue’s final possessions ended in calls against David Jenkins Jr. and Treya Kaufman-Renna.
Ohio State made Purdue pay with Eugene Brown III getting the ball up top and driving to the hoop for a dunk, and Ohio State extended its lead to 23-19 midway through the half.
A long offensive rebound on the Buckeyes’ next possession would lead to Gayle Jr.’s fourth 3-pointer of the game and a 26-19 lead.
Trey Kaufman-Renn got in on the scoreboard, drawing a foul on a shot by the post and making both free throws to go up 26-21.
Then Justice Sueing continued to shoot the Buckeyes with a 3-pointer from the right wing that gave Ohio State an 8-point lead.
Mason Gillis then found Zach Edey inside who finished with a two-handed dunk to cut the Buckeyes’ lead to 29-23.
Fletcher Loyer then did a nice job driving to the line only to find Zach Edey inside for a layup to cut the lead to four points.
Likekele answered for Ohio State by hitting a hard ball to put the Buckeyes back within six.
Zach Edey then recovered Loyer’s missed rebound and drew the foul. He would miss the free throw for And-1.
Braden Smith would then knock down a step-back mid-range jumper to cut the game to 31-29.
Ohio State was whistled for a Flagrant 1 on a shooting review where Zach Edey was held by a Buckeyes defender. He would make both free throws to tie the game at 31.
Zach Edey would go back to the line on the next possession and make both free throws to give Purdue back the lead, 33-31.
But Roddy Gayle Jr. couldn’t contain himself and hit a step-back three, his fifth of the half, to restore Ohio State’s lead to 34-33 with just over 3 minutes left in the half.
Brandon Newman would draw the charge after Edey missed with a cross from the other end.
Edey would finish his next hook shot and Purdue would go up 35-34.
David Jenkins Jr. Chicago’s hot shooting would continue, hitting a 3-pointer from Zach Edey to give Purdue a four-point lead and Chris Holtmann calling a timeout with the pro-Purdue crowd finally getting into the game.
Purdue led 38-34 with 1:55 left in the first half.
Then Brandon Newman torched his coach Matt Painter, forcing a five-second call and giving Purdue the ball back. Painter would give his guard a high five in celebration after the play.
Edey would draw another foul and knock down one of two free throws to give Purdue a 39-34 lead.
David Jenkins Jr. continued to give Purdue a spark off the bench, hitting its second 3-pointer of the half with six seconds on the clock. He is now 5-for-5 from three in the tournament for Purdue.
Purdue would go into halftime with a 42-34 lead.
2nd half
Purdue’s offense picked up where it left off in the second half.
Purdue gave Edey a one-on-one look in the post, and he finished a left hook to give Purdue a 10-point lead.
Sean McNeil got his first basket of the game for Ohio State, pumping and then hitting a long two on the break to cut the game to 44-36.
Braden Smith then got going, hitting a floater on a pick and roll drive to put Purdue back within ten, 46-36.
McNeil then drove baseline with the shot clock running out and Ethan Morton all over him, and hit a miraculous pull-up jumper to pull the Buckeyes within 8.
Braden Smith answered again
McNeil a prayer fallaway basleine over morton 46-38
Smith’s 49-38 three in response gave Purdue its biggest lead of the half, 49-38.
Brandon Newman then got a spinning, fadeaway jumper for Purdue late in the shot clock to extend their lead to 51-38.
Roddy Gayle Jr. he responded with a floater and pulled within 11.
Newman came back again, hitting a step back jumper to give Purdue a 53-40 lead with less than fifteen minutes left in the game.
Smith then found Zach Edey wide open up the middle of the court for an easy two-handed dunk to give Purdue a 15-point lead.
Bruce Thornton would hit an open corner three for Ohio State as the Buckeyes attempted a comeback against Big Ten Champs and #1 seed Purdue.
But Zach Edey finished off his own layup to put Purdue back up 57-43 with 11 minutes left in the game.
Justice Sueing pulled Ohio State within 11, knocking down a 3-pointer after OSU got a second look on an offensive rebound.
Sueing drew a foul on Caleb Furst on a layup and would make both free throws to bring the Buckeyes within single digits, 57-48 with Purdue going cold offensively.
Ethan Morton would be fouled on the inbounds and Purdue would be in the bonus but miss the front end of a one-and-one.
Thornton would then finish over Edey in the racket to cut the game to 7.
Edey would answer with a hook over Okpara to give Purdue a 59-50 lead.
Thornton was then fouled with Ohio State going into the bonus with just under 7 minutes left in the half and would miss the frontcourt free throw.
Okpara would then foul Edey on an attempt at the rim, giving him his fourth foul.
Edey would do both to put Purdue up 61-50 with six and a half minutes to play.
Brandon Newman then fouled Bruce Thornton on a three-point attempt, and the freshman guard made the first two, missed the second, but the Buckeyes got their rebound and Thornton made a jumper for the four-point possession.
Purdue’s lead was back to 7, 61-54.
Edey would then commit a foul after missing the ball and sending Okpara to the line. Okpara would make the first and miss the second as Ohio State pulled within two possessions.
Edey was fouled by Thornton after the turnover and the Big Ten Player of the Year made both to give Edey 29 points in the game. Purdue got it back to 8 with 4:50 to play.
Braden Smith would give Purdue some breathing room, hesitating, then getting to the glass for a layup. The true freshman had 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting at this point, and Purdue’s lead was back to 10, 65-55.
Justice Sueing drew a foul on Ethan Morton and it would go to the line with both teams poised to enter the double bonus. He hit both and Purdue’s lead was cut to 65-57 with 3:50 to play.
Smith would then draw a charge against Sueing while setting a screen, and the true freshman would knock down both to give Purdue a 10.
Braden Smith would then find Brandon Newman in the corner where Newman would drain a three to give Purdue a 70-57 lead with about three minutes remaining.
Newman would miss his next three-point attempt, but Zach Edey would grab a rebound, finish through contact and make a free throw to put Purdue up 16 with just over two minutes to play.
Eugene Brown III would hit a 3-pointer with two minutes on the clock to try and keep the Buckeyes in the game, cutting Purdue’s lead, 73-60.
Purdu would turn the ball over and Sueing would break through and draw a foul with 1:31 left in the game. A lawsuit would force both to cut Purdue’s lead to 11.
Brandon Newman would then help break down Ohio State’s press and get a layup to go back to 13.
Gayle Jr. would end up around Edey on the other end, but Purdue’s 11-point lead would be insurmountable as the Buckeyes would have to foul with just 52 seconds left.