ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Zach Edey had 15 of his 19 points in the first half and Fletcher Loyer finished with 17 points to help No. 1 Purdue hold off Michigan 75-70 on Thursday night.
The Boilermakers (20-1, 9-1 Big Ten) had a 15-0 run to go ahead 41-28 lead in the first half after there were 10 lead changes and four ties, but they couldn't pull away.
The Wolverines (11-9, 5-4) were without standout freshman Jett Howard, who missed the game with an ankle injury, and hung around until the final seconds.
Joey Baker made a 3-pointer — off the glass — with 5.9 seconds left to pull Michigan within three points, but Purdue's Brandon Newman sealed the victory with two free throws.
The 7-foot-4 Edey, though, was too tough to stop early in the game.
With size and skills such as a hook shot, the junior center from Toronto scored Purdue's first seven points and finished the first half 7 of 12 from the field and 1 of 2 at the line.
Six Boilermakers scored in the first half, keeping the game close while Edey sat on the bench, to help them lead 41-35.
Loyer opened the second half with a 3-pointer and Edey followed with a shot in the lane, putting Purdue up by double digits and it led by at least five points the rest of the game.
Braden Smith had 10 points for the Boilermakers.
Purdue's defense ultimately denied Michigan's comeback hopes, holding a 22nd straight opponent to 70 or fewer points.
Dickinson scored 21, Kobe Bufkin had 16 points and Baker added 11 points for the Wolverines, who have lost four of their last six games.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Boilermakers got the top spot in the AP Top 25 this week after winning six games, a stretch that followed a loss to Rutgers on Jan. 3 that dropped them from No. 1 in the poll. Purdue improved to 7-2 as the top-ranked team.
BIG PICTURE
Purdue: Edey can't beat teams by himself and he's surrounded by a lot of role players and a potential standout in Loyer. The 6-4 guard was the Big Ten player of the week earlier this month, become the first Boilermaker freshman to win the award since Robbie Hummel in 2008.
Michigan: Jett Howard's health is a critical factor for the Wolverines, who will have some work to do over the second half of the Big Ten season to avoid missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. Howard averages 14.6 points and is the most dynamic player on his father's team.
UP NEXT
Purdue: Hosts Michigan State on Sunday, nearly two weeks after the Boilermakers beat the Spartans by a point on Edey's shot with 2.2 seconds left.
Michigan: Plays at Penn State on Sunday.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
