WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. The presence of Zach Edey in the second half on Monday night put pressure on Xavier.
Purdue teammates took advantage of the opportunities he generated, as well as the contributions of the reigning national player of the year.
Braden Smith added 12 points and seven assists as the second-ranked Boilermakers pulled away late for an 83-71 victory over the Musketeers in their last Gavitt Tipoff game. Edey scored 20 of his 28 points in the second half while collecting 11 rebounds.
“We tried to keep him between a body and the basket and limit his offensive rebounds, his deep catches,” said Xavier coach Sean Miller. “We held him to 28 and 11 and fouled out the whole team.”
The Boilermakers (3-0) set a new school record with 27 consecutive regular-season wins over non-conference opponents. They also ended the Musketeers’ five-game losing streak in the series by defeating them for the first time since December 2001. Since 2012, the schools had not met.
Desmond Claude led Xavier (2-1) with 15 points and six assists. Three players scored ten points.
However, the Musketeers struggled to keep up with the 7-foot-4 Edey, who drew 11 fouls and went 10 of 11 from the free-throw line, as most teams do. Abou Ousmane, a 6-10 forward, fouled out for the majority of the night before picking up his fifth foul with 8:04 remaining.
“If you watch him, you expect him to make every shot, but so does he,” coach Matt Painter said of Edey. “His gauge isn’t someone else’s; it’s himself.” But I know he’ll be satisfied as long as we win.”
Xavier undoubtedly made life more difficult for the Boilermakers after they won two games by more than 30 points each the previous week.
Purdue scored the final four points of the first half to grab a 37-29 lead, but couldn’t pull away even after increasing the advantage to 46-35 early in the second half. With 6:28 remaining, the Boilermakers utilised an 11-5 run to build a 71-57 lead, which they never relinquished.
BIG PICTURE
Xavier: The Musketeers’ ceiling is unknown with six freshmen and four transfers. However, if Monday’s game is any indication, coach Sean Miller’s team might provide a significant challenge in the Big East.
Purdue: Rather than taking an early lead and pulling away, the Boilermakers passed their first genuine test of the season—and just in time for next week’s Maui Invitational.
