PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zach Edey scored 30 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and helped a furious 12-0 run to start the second half as No. 1 Purdue rallied to defeat Penn State 76-63 before a sold-out crowd at the Palestra on Sunday night.
Fletcher Loyer scored 17 points while Braden Smith added 15 to help the Boilermakers improve to 15-1 overall and post back-to-back road conference wins after Monday's home loss to Rutgers knocked Purdue from the ranks of the undefeated.
Despite Jalen Pickett's 26 points, Penn State (11-5, 2-3 Big Ten) fell to 0-13 lifetime when facing the top-ranked team in the nation.
Edey, a 7-foot-4 junior center, was a nightmare from the start for the Nittany Lions. He scored Purdue's first six points of the game, drew double teams most of the night and was able to move the ball from the low block.
Pickett scored 18 of his points in the first half, ending the session with an up and under shovel past Edey's outstretched arms that gave the Nittany Lions a 37-31 advantage at the halftime buzzer.
Purdue took the game over in the second half, shooting 66.7% from the floor (18 of 27). The Boilermakers held the Nittany Lions scoreless for the first four minutes of the period. Edey scored 18 of his points in the second half while Loyer had 14 in the second half.
The Nittany Lions shot just 11 for 30 from the floor in the second half and 2 of 10 from beyond the 3-point arc.
BIG PICTURE
Purdue: Any team that will face the Boilermakers will have a matchup issue against Edey, who is dominating in the middle and able to move gracefully in the paint when needed.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions' bid to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011 would have received a huge boost with a win over Purdue. They have two games against ranked teams in the next nine days — at home against No. 15 Indiana and a trip to No. 14 Wisconsin on Jan. 17 — that would go a long way to helping Penn State's resume.
TOUGH TICKET
This was the third time that Penn State has brought a Big Ten game to the Palestra as a home team. The Nittany Lions average just under 6,000 people in nine home games at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College. They drew 8,700 on Sunday night even with competition on the Eagles-Giants game six miles down the road at Lincoln Financial Field.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Purdue's undefeated record was lost against Rutgers on Monday night. However, the Boilermakers' strong road bounce backs against NCAA Tournament contenders Ohio State and Penn State could keep them atop the rankings.
UP NEXT
Purdue: The Boilermakers host Nebraska on Friday night.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions will host No. 15 Indiana on Wednesday night.
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