WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Zach Edey got a crash course in the Indiana-Purdue rivalry when he was held scoreless in January.
The 7-foot-4 freshman from Toronto didn’t make the same mistake Saturday.
Less than two months after going 0 for 4 against the Hoosiers, Edey scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds and led No. 23 Purdue to a milestone 67-58 victory over the Hoosiers.
Purdue has won nine straight in the series, matching the second-longest streak in school history. The Boilermakers also won nine straight from 1929-35 when future coach John Wooden was playing, plus they won 12 straight from 1908-14.
“It’s big for the fan base, it’s big for the state, it’s big for us, for sure,” Edey said. “I struggled in the first game and I knew I had to come into this game and make a statement.”
Did he ever.
Just four days the former baseball pitcher scored a career-high 21 points, he went 8 of 10 from the field and scored 12 of Purdue’s last 20 points.
The Boilermakers (18-8, 13-6 Big Ten) now head into next week’s conference tournament with five straight wins, a top-four seed and a double-bye.
Aljami Durham had 14 points and Trayce Jackson-Davis finished with 12 points and five rebounds to lead the Hoosiers (12-14, 7-12), who have lost five in a row. They finished conference play with a fifth consecutive season with a non-winning reecord - the first time that has happened since 1911-19.
“It’s been a rough five games. We’ve just got to recharge our batteries,” Jackson-Davis said. “We’ve just got to put the past behind us and just keep pushing forward.”
This one looked awfully familiar, too, as the Hoosiers went 5 of 23 on 3-pointers and had several long scoreless stretches.
Yet Indiana still managed to hang around.
It quickly cut a 29-20 deficit to 35-31 early in the second half before the Boilermakers answered with eight straight points. When the Hoosiers charged back, getting within 47-42 with 6:29 to go, Purdue countered with an 8-3 burst to make it 45-35.
Indiana was still down six with less than a minute to go, but the Boilermakers closed it out at the free-throw line and with a big helping hand from Edey.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “When I first came here nobody thought I was going to play. They thought I was going to redshirt. It really shows how much work coach (Matt) Painter and everyone has put in.”
BIG PICTURE
Indiana: Just a couple of weeks ago, the bracketologists had the Hoosiers pegged for an NCAA Tournament bid. Their late-season swoon certainly put those hopes in jeopardy, and now they may need to win their first Big Ten Tournament title to make it.
Purdue: The Boilermakers head into next week’s league tourney as perhaps the league’s hottest team and a real threat to win the title in Indianapolis. Not only are they playing well, they are 14-1 in Indiana - and won’t leave the state again this season.
STAT PACK
Indiana: Rob Phinisee had 10 points, six rebounds and four assists in his hometown. … Jerome Hunter also had 12 points. … The Hoosiers shot 38.5% from the field, were outrebounded 37-24 and had 12 turnovers. … Fourth-year coach Archie Miller still has not beaten Purdue. … Starting guard Armaan Franklin missed his fourth straight game (right foot).
Purdue: Jaden Ivey had 17 points. … Trevion Williams finished with six points and seven rebounds while Aaron Wheeler added eight points and seven rebounds. … Sasha Stefanovic made two 3s and had eight points. … The Boilermakers won despite going 6 of 21 on 3s and having 15 turnovers. … Purdue has held 15 consecutive opponents to 72 points or fewer.
THE VIEW
While only a few dozen were inside Mackey Arena and its cardboard cutouts, hundreds enjoyed the rivalry from across the street at Ross-Ade Stadium. They took advantage of the unseasonably warm, sunny day by sitting on blankets inside and watching the game on the football stadium’s video board.
UP NEXT
Indiana: Must wait for the Big Ten Tournament bracket to learn next week’s opponent at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Purdue: Won’t play until Friday against a yet-to-be determined foe.
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