Purdue upsets Gonzaga in PK85 semifinals
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PORTLAND - Zach Edey scored 23 points to lead the No. 24 Purdue Boilermakers (5-0) to an 84-66 upset over the No. 6 Gonzaga Bulldogs (4-2) in the semifinals of the PK85 tournament.
The Boilermakers led by as many as 15 points and overcame a sloppy start to dominate the Zags for the majority of the ballgame. Despite a poor shooting performance in the first half, Purdue went 17-for-30 from the floor in the second half to outscore Gonzaga 51-38.
Drew Timme poured in 22 points in the losing effort. Nolan Hickman contributed 15 points, followed by 11 from Rasir Bolton.
Freshman tandem Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer each tallied 14 points for the Boilermakers, who advance to take on Duke in the PK85 Legacy bracket championship game on Sunday.
Despite dominant performances on Thanksgiving evening, both offenses struggled to seize any sort of momentum out of the gate.
The Boilermakers missed nine of their first 10 shot attempts, seven of which were from beyond the arc, after shooting a season-high 51.1% from the field against West Virginia on Thursday. Gonzaga managed to gain an early lead as a result yet sputtered midway through the first half before trailing with five minutes left.
Braden Smith capped off a 9-0 run to give Purdue its first lead of the night and the offensive spark to take control. A hook shot from freshman Trey Kaufman-Renn marked the largest lead of the half at eight as the Zags' offense was stuck in neutral down the stretch.
“I think us being a little flat definitely impacted the defense,” Timme said. “If we just do the basics, it’s a completely different game.”
Gonzaga trailed heading into the locker room for the third time this season after shooting 34.3% from the field. Purdue’s offense wasn’t much more efficient, going 12-for-31 from the floor. Both teams shot 4-for-15 from behind the arc while the Zags didn’t attempt a free throw in the first 20 minutes of play.
Edey, a Preseason All-American, found himself matched up against Anton Watson for the majority of the first half. The 7-foot-4 center and contender for the National Player of the Year award was limited against Watson before erupting in the second half to finish with 23 points.
“He’s a moose down there,” Timme said. “He’s strong, he knows how to use his body. You have to tip your hat to him.”
The Boilermakers' offense found a rhythm coming out of the locker room, starting 7-for-11 from the field to extend their lead to nine points after a 3-pointer from Brandon Newman with 13 minutes left in regulation. Caleb Furst pushed the lead to double-digits with a 3-pointer from the left wing, as Gonzaga’s defense lost control against the 13th-ranked offense in the country.
“We got torched on defense in the second half,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said. “Purdue executes so well that they’ll make you pay.”
The Boilermakers pounded the paint as well with 32 points and 13 offensive rebounds.
With the loss, the Zags will face Xavier in the tournament’s third-place game at 4:30 p.m. from the Moda Center on Sunday. Fans can watch on ESPN.
PHOTO GALLERY: GONZAGA VS. PURDUE
(All photos by Troy Wayrynen, USA TODAY Sports)
