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Braden Smith was nearly perfect and Zach Addey went for 32 and 14 as Purdue advanced to the Big Ten Tournament game
The Purdue Boilermakers won the Big Ten Conference by three games, their third win in the tournament on Sunday would also earn them a Big Ten Tournament title. Purdue handled Ohio State in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, 80–66.
Zach Edey, the Big Ten Player of the Year, was the best player on the floor as he has been all season, and he got help from a true freshman, Braden Smith.
Both teams got off to a good start with Roddy Gale Jr. hitting 5 threes in the first half for Ohio State, and Purdue hitting 5 of 6 shots from the perimeter as a team, but Purdue’s size and depth were too great for an Ohio State team. It was too much. Lost two starters, Jed Key and Bryce Sensbaugh.
Zach Edey didn’t shoot the ball well for his standards, making just 12 of 25 attempts, but finished the game with 32 points along with 14 rebounds and 3 assists.
Braydon Smith was almost flawless, making all 5 of his shots from the floor while organizing his team’s offense. The True freshman had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 30 minutes of action while turning the ball over only once.
Brandon Newman continued to provide a spark to Matt Painter, starting the game by hitting a three pointer on Purdue’s first possession and shooting 5 of 7 from the field for 14 points.
Purdue will now advance to the Big Ten Tournament Championship where they will play either Penn State or Indiana on Sunday afternoon before Selection Sunday.
1st half
Purdue got off to a better start against Ohio State, with Felix Okpara missing a long jumper and Brandon Newman making a three on the other end to give Purdue a 3–0 lead.
Ohio State’s first basket came on an alley-oop layup by Felix Okpara, which ended up rolling into the hoop.
Fletcher Lauer then got going for Purdue, getting an open three-pointer from the top of the arc to bounce in front of the rim and then fall to give Purdue an early 6–2 lead.
Brayden Smith found Zach Ade in the post who hit a hook shot to give the Boilers a six-point lead.
Okpara answered again for Ohio State, getting a rebound to go down 8–4.
Then Zach Ade got another post look from a Brandon Newman feed and the Big Man completed a hook shot over the block to give the Purdue 10.
Roddy Gale Jr. drove to the rim for a foul by Mason Gillis and made one of two free throws to cut the lead to five. Justice Sowing followed with the Buckeyes’ first three-pointer on their next possession, and the Ohio State deficit was just 10–8.
Zach Edey found Caleb Furst for a dunk after an in-bounds play, but Ohio State responded again by finding Okpara at the rim for a dunk of his own.
Purdue’s lead was just 12–10 but a Braden Smith three pushed Purdue back to 5–5 with 5 minutes left in the game.
But Roddy Gale Jr. was about to catch fire for Ohio State. He then knocked down another three to lead 15–13.
Ade found Furst again at the baseline for a dunk after a double-team.
But Gayle Jr. responded with his second three of the game. Purdue’s lead was just 17–16.
Ade would miss a long hook shot, but Caleb Furst was there to clean up the miss and finish with his opposite hand to put Purdue up 19–16.
Gayle Jr. broke open again with a nice cross-court pass and hit his third three of the game to tie it at 19.
Isaac Likkele then drove in Fletcher Laurier and drew a foul at the rim. He missed the free throw, but his layup gave Ohio State its first lead of the game, 21–19.
Back to back possessions for Purdue ended with charging calls against David Jenkins Jr. and Trey Kaufman-Rein.
Ohio State made Purdue pay with Eugene Brown III taking the ball over the top and making the hoop for the dunk, and Ohio State extended their lead to 23–19 at the halfway mark.
A long offensive rebound on the Buckeyes’ next possession would give Gale Jr. his fourth three of the game and a 26–19 lead.
Trey Kaufman-Renn got on the scoreboard, drew fouls on a shot in the post and missed both free throws to go up 26–21.
Then Justice Sowing kept the Buckeyes hot shooting with a three-pointer from the right wing that gave Ohio State an 8-point lead.
Mason Gillis then found Zack Ade inside, who finished with a two-handed dunk to cut the Buckeyes’ lead to 29–23.
Fletcher Lauer then did a good job of driving towards the line to find Zack Ade inside to cut the lead to four points.
Likkele responded by hitting a tough floater for Ohio State and putting the Buckeyes back up six.
Zach Edey then cleaned up a Laurier missed jumper and drew a foul. He missed the end-1 free throw.
Brayden Smith would then take a step back from a mid range jumper to cut the game to 31–29.
Ohio State was whistled for a flagrant 1 on the shot after a review where Zach Eddy was held by a Buckeyes defender. He would make both free throws and tie the game at 31.
Zach Edey would go back to the line on the next possession and make both free throws to give Purdue a 33–31 lead.
But Roddy Gale Jr. could not be contained and he hit a go-ahead three, his fifth of the half, with just over 3 minutes left in the half to give Ohio State a 34–33 lead.
At the other end, Brandon Newman would lead the charge after Ade’s missed hook shot.
Ade would complete his next hook shot and Purdue would go up 35–34.
Chicago would continue the hot shooting of David Jenkins Jr., hitting three pull ups off a Zack Ade pick to give Purdue a four-point lead and Chris Holtman calling timeout to join the game at the end with the pro-Purdue crowd.
Purdue’s lead was 38–34 with 1:55 remaining in the first half.
Then Brandon Newman fouled his coach Matt Painter, forcing a five-second call and getting the ball back to Purdue. Painter used to give his guard a high five in celebration after the play.
Eddie would commit another foul and knock down one of two free throws to give Purdue a 39–34 lead.
David Jenkins Jr. continued to provide Purdue a spark off the bench, knocking down his second three of the half with six seconds left on the game clock. He is now 5 of three in the tournament for Purdue.
Purdue would go into the half with a 42–34 lead.
other half
Purdue’s offense picked up where it had left off in the second half.
Purdue gave Ade a one-on-one look in the post and he completed a left-handed hook to give Purdue a 10-point lead.
Sean McNeil got his first basket of the game for Ohio State, pumping up and then hitting a fadeaway long to narrow the game to 44–36.
Brayden Smith then got going, hitting a floater on a pick and roll drive to put Purdue back within ten, 46–36.
McNeil then drove down the baseline as the shot clock expired and Ethan Morton surrounded him, and hit a miraculous fall away jumper to pull the Buckeyes within 8.
braden smith replied again
McNeil Morton collapses a prayer on the baseline 46-38
In response Smith’s pull up three 49–38 gave Purdue its biggest lead of the half, 49–38.
Brandon Newman got a spinning, fadeaway jumper late in the shot clock to cut the lead to 51–38 for Purdue.
Roddy Gayle Jr replied with a floater to pull it within 11.
Newman answered again, hitting a step back jumper to give Purdue a 53–40 lead with less than fifteen minutes remaining in the game.
Smith then found Zach Ade wide open for an easy two-handed dunk down the middle of the paint to give Purdue a 15-point advantage.
Bruce Thornton would hit an open corner three for Ohio State as the Buckeyes tried to get back in it against Big Ten champs and tournament #1 seed Purdue.
But Zach Ade eliminated his own blunder and put Purdue up 57–43 with 11 minutes left in the game.
Justice Sowing pulled Ohio State to within 11, knocking down a three-pointer after notching a second off an offensive rebound by OSU.
Sueing drew a foul on Caleb Furst on one drive and made both free throws to bring the Buckeyes within single-digits, 57–48, leaving Purdue cold on the offensive end.
Ethan Morton would fail to bring the ball up and Purdue would be in the bonus but he would miss the front end of another one.
Thornton would then eliminate Eddie in the paint to tie the game at 7.
Purdue would respond with a hook in the paint over Ade Okpara to give them a 59–50 lead.
Thornton then tied with Ohio State going into the half with just under 7 minutes left and he would miss his front end free throw.
Okpara fouled Ade on an attempt at the rim, earning him his fourth foul.
Ade would make both and put Purdue up 61–50 with six and a half minutes to play.
Brandon Newman fouled Bruce Thornton on a three-point attempt and the freshman guard made the first two, missed the second, but the Buckeyes got their rebound and Thornton made a jumper off the glass for a four-point possession.
Purdue’s lead was back to 7, 61–54.
Ade would foul after missing a hook shot and send Okpara over the line. Okpara would miss first and second as Ohio State pulled within two possessions.
Addey was fouled by Thornton after a switch and the Big Ten Player of the Year both scored 29 points in the game for Addey. Purdue went up by 8 with 4:50 to play.
Brayden Smith would give Purdue breathing room, hesitate, and then get to the glass for a layup. The True freshman had 12 points on 5-of-5 at this point, and Purdue’s lead grew to 10, 65–55.
Justice Sowing called a foul on Ethan Morton with both teams poised to enter the double-double. He hit both and Purdue’s lead was cut to 65–57 with 3:50 to go.
Smith would then charge Sueing while setting a screen and the true freshman would knock down both to cut the Purdue lead to 10.
Braden Smith would then find Brandon Newman in the corner where Newman would drain a three to give Purdue a 70–57 lead with about three minutes remaining.
Newman would miss his next three-point attempt, but Zack Ade would chase down the rebound, finish through contact, and make a free throw to put Purdue up 16 with just over two minutes to play.
Eugene Brown III hit a three with two minutes on the clock to try to keep the Buckeyes in it, cutting Purdue’s lead to 73–60.
Purdue would turn the ball over and drive Sueing and commit a foul with 1:31 left in the game. Sue would both cut Purdue’s lead down to 11.
Brandon Newman would then help break up the Ohio State press and lay up to go back to the 13.
Gale Jr. would end up around Ade on the other end, but Purdue’s 11-point lead would be insurmountable with the Buckeyes trailing with only 52 seconds remaining.
