Fletcher Loyer, Zach Edey help No. 1 Purdue rout Eastern Kentucky 80-53
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Fletcher Loyer scored 14 points and Zach Edey had 13 points to help No. 1 Purdue rout Eastern Kentucky 80-53 on Friday night.
Mason Gillis and Trey Kaufman-Renn each added 10 points for the Boilermakers (12-1). Gillis also had nine rebounds. Braden Smith finished with eight assists.
“I try to prepare every game the same, some nights it’s a better game than other nights," Gillis said. “I try to keep my mentality the same. I know what my role is. I know what my job is. I preach to our guys that if we do our job we’re easily the best team in the country. If I’m preaching that. I have to embody it. My job every game is chase rebounds and be ready to shoot.”
Purdue coach Matt Painter praised Gillis' contributions.
“Mason was great and got some rebounds, just made some second effort plays," Painter said. "That’s what we need from everybody, to keep going after the ball. Mason really gave us some positive play."
Devontae Blanton led the Colonels (4-9) with 14 points. Leland Walker had 12.
Edey had just three points in the first half but extended his streak of scoring in double figures to 64 games. He was 5 of 7 from the field.
Purdue led by 35 points at 77-42 before going deep into its bench. The Boilermakers held a 46-25 rebounding edge.
Loyer had 12 of his points in the first half.
“I think what's it's been is doing whatever it takes to help the team win,” Loyer said. “For this team to make a power run in March and Big Ten, they need me to be aggressive some nights. I think we everyone to be aggressive.”
Purdue started off sluggish offensively before picking it up. The Boilermakers outscored the Colonels 23-13 in the final 10 minutes of the opening half to take a 43-24 lead.
The Boilermakers shot 57% in the first half, while Eastern Kentucky shot 37%. Purdue held a 21-12 rebounding edge in the opening half. For the game, the Boilermakers shot 52%, and the Colonels 37%
Purdue (1-1 in the Big Ten) plays at Maryland on Tuesday night.
“We still haven’t won a road game and we're going into a beehive where they didn't lose in the Big Ten last season," Painter said. “I feel like we’ve made strides. We have experience. We have some guys who went through some things. We have different guys off the bench that play off the bench, depending how the night unfolds.”
Although Purdue was 6 of 21 from 3-point range against the Colonels, Painter said the team has shown a balance playing off the interior game and then able to knock down shots. Purdue was shooting 39% from 3-point range entering the game.
Keeping turnovers low has also been a key in the first 13 games.
“We had 11 turnovers tonight,” Painter said. "We're averaging around 12 1/2 per game. If we can keep our turnovers around 10, we put ourselves in really good position.”
BIG PICTURE
Eastern Kentucky: The Colonels’ biggest problem was Purdue’s advantage in the paint. The Boilermakers outscored the Colonels 46-18 in the paint.
Purdue: The Boilermakers should retain its No. 1 spot. They won their 35th consecutive regular-season, nonconference game.
UP NEXT
Eastern Kentucky: Hosts Lipscomb on Thursday night.
Purdue: At Maryland on Tuesday night.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
