Reigning national player of the year Zach Edey recorded a season-low 10 points, but Trey Kaufman-Renn stepped up with a season-high 23 as top-ranked Purdue held on for an 83-78 Big Ten victory over No. 9 Illinois on Friday night in West Lafayette, Ind.
Edey, who only played 23 minutes and took just five shots due to foul trouble, finished with 15 rebounds to earn his 48th career double-double for the Boilermakers (14-1, 3-1). Lance Jones added 17 points and Braden Smith contributed 14 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Marcus Domask posted 20 of his 26 points in the second half for Illinois (11-3, 2-1), which played without suspended All-Big Ten wing Terrence Shannon Jr. for the third straight game since he was charged with rape in Kansas. Quincy Guerrier produced 18 points and 10 rebounds while Luke Goode notched 16 points for the Illini, who trailed by 21 with 12 minutes left but got as close as three on a Coleman Hawkins’ 3-pointer with 12.1 seconds to go.
Purdue bolted to a 20-4 lead as Illinois missed 11 of its first 13 shots and the Boilers controlled the boards at both ends. Ten of Purdue’s first 14 points came after offensive rebounds — including 3-pointers by Jones and Smith and a tip-in by Edey.
With Edey’s touches limited early — his tip was his only shot attempt in the first half — Smith poured in 10 points while building the 20-4 lead as he used Edey’s screens to find open space around the free-throw line and down the lane.
With Edey on the bench for most of the final 10 minutes with two fouls, Illinois got as close as 24-21 when Hawkins fed Guerrier for a dunk. Purdue responded with 3-pointers by Mason Gillis and Fletcher Loyer and, when Smith set up Cam Heide in transition for a 3-pointer with 2:54 to go, Purdue improved to 6 of 9 from 3-point range and seized a 37-26 lead that forced Illinois to take a timeout. The Boilers took a 47-32 margin into intermission.
While Edey returned for the start of the second half, Purdue kept feeding Kaufman-Renn. He scored six points in the first three-plus minutes and fed Edey for a dunk as the Boilermakers’ lead swelled to 57-38.
Edey didn’t reach double figures until a jump hook in the lane with 8:20 to play. On Illinois’ next possession, Guerrier drew Edey’s fourth foul and completed a three-point play to pull the Illini within 70-55 with 8:01 left. Domask then took advantage of the open lane to continue Illinois’ rally.
–Field Level Media