WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Zach Edey scored 18 points and No. 1 Purdue avoided a letdown, breezing past Jacksonville 100-57 on Thursday night.
Lance Jones had 16 points, Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 15 and Myles Colvin had 11 for the Boilermakers (11-1), who won their fourth straight — including last Saturday’s win over then-No. 1 Arizona that allowed them to regain the top ranking.
“I’m proud of our guys to bounce back from emotional state and kind of keep a purpose,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “Tonight I thought we did a good job of sticking to our job.”
It was the final game for the Boilermakers before a weeklong holiday break.
“You know everybody’s mind is on going home and spending time with their family and loved ones,” Jones said. “Coach Painter stressed to practice to have the right mindset. It took us a little bit but once we got going and stayed locked in, we went ahead and finished it off.”
Twelve players scored for Purdue. Seldom-used Will Berg, who was playing in just his fifth game this season, had eight points in the closing minutes Painter substituted liberally. The Boilermakers held a 43-16 edge in bench scoring.
Robert McCray V led the Dolphins (8-5) with 22 points. He came in as Jacksonville’s leading scorer with a 16.5-point average.
The 7-foot-4 Edey had a team-high eight rebounds as Purdue finished with a 39-31 advantage.
Purdue shot 52% from the field while holding the Dolphins to 37%. Jacksonville committed 21 turnovers, 12 more than Purdue.
The Boilermakers led from the tip, but were ahead just 32-24 with 4:58 remaining in the first half. Purdue finished the half with a 13-3 run to take a 45-27 lead.
“I thought our guys played well in that stretch and executed,” Painter said. “With five minutes left, we had nine turnovers and it stayed at nine.”
Purdue started the second half with a 12-0 spurt, extending its advantage to 30 points.
Kaufman-Renn said he had plenty of motivation against the visitors from the Atlantic Sun Conference.
“These are the type of teams we’ve lost to (in) March Madness, so I was just as motivated as playing Arizona,” Kaufman-Renn said. “So I don’t want that to happen again.”
BIG PICTURE
Jacksonville: The Dolphins can build on the fact they were competitive for most of the first half.
Purdue: The Boilermakers won their 34th consecutive regular-season nonconference game, the longest in the nation.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Purdue has been ranked in the top five for 23 straight weeks, the longest active streak. No. 2 Kansas is the next best at 12 weeks.
ADDED EXPERIENCE
Jones, a senior transfer from Southern Illinois, has been a key contributor, starting all 12 games.
“What I’ve learned the most is to just be a great teammate,” Jones said. “Coach Painter says it’s not going to be your night every night. So I just tried to stay ready. I’ve had a lot of experience in college basketball. I just want to be a leader.”
