Four players scored in double figures Monday night as No. 3 Purdue cruised to a 79-59 non-conference win over Incarnate Word in West Lafayette, Ind.
Zach Edey came off the bench to score 13 points and grab nine rebounds for the Boilermakers (11-1), while Jaden Ivey and Trevion Williams each added 12 points. Mason Gillis chipped in 10 in a reserve role.
Benjamin Griscti scored a game-high 14 points for the Cardinals (2-10), a Southland Conference program. Johnny Hughes added 12, but it wasn’t nearly enough to keep Incarnate Word in contention.
However, the Cardinals were able to keep the final margin respectable in coach Dr. Carson Cunningham’s homecoming to Purdue. He played three seasons for the Boilermakers under coach Gene Keady, scoring 886 career points.
Incarnate Word canned 12 of 27 3-pointers and committed just 11 turnovers, but simply couldn’t match Purdue’s superior depth or strength. The Boilermakers dominated the glass, collecting 19 offensive rebounds that led to 20 points.
Purdue led by as many as 30 points in the second half before clearing the bench and keeping the final margin from getting truly out of hand. No player toiled more than 23 minutes.
Incarnate Word actually stroked a couple of quick 3-pointers for a 6-0 lead, followed by Purdue unleashing most of its arsenal over the first half’s remainder. The Boilermakers rattled off a 19-3 run that ended with Edey’s layup for a 10-point advantage at the 12:33 mark.
The Cardinals pulled within five when Hughes connected on back-to-back 3-pointers with 10:49 left in the half, but Purdue pulled away after that. It ripped off a 15-2 spurt that Williams finished with a 3-point play for a 36-18 cushion with 6:44 remaining.
The Boilermakers upped the margin as high as 19 points later in the half before settling for a 45-27 margin at intermission. They owned a 31-10 advantage on the boards and had 15 second-chance points to Incarnate Word’s none.
–Field Level Media