- No. 2-ranked Purdue improved to 23-2 overall and 12-2 in the Big Ten Conference with an 84-76 win over Minnesota.
- The win was Purdue's ninth straight victory, now tied for the fifth-longest winning streak in the country. It was also Purdue's 14 straight home win as Purdue improved to 13-0 in Mackey Arena.
- The nine-game win streak in Big Ten play is tied for the fourth-longest conference winning streak of the Matt Painter era.
- Purdue has now reached 12 conference wins in nine of the last 10 seasons. No other Big Ten team has more than six years of 12-plus victories.
- Purdue has won six straight games over Minnesota at Mackey Arena.
- Purdue has won 16 of its last 17 games.
- The Boilermakers' 23-2 start through 25 games is the best in school history (also in 2022-23, 2017-18, 1987-88).
- Purdue is now 20-0 when holding teams to 79 or fewer points. Meanwhile, Purdue is 86-3 since the start of the 2017-18 season when scoring 80 points.
- Purdue trailed by 10 early in the second half. It marked Purdue's second comeback win of at least 10 points this season (Alabama – 12).
- Points per possession for Purdue (1st half – 1.13; 2nd half – 1.53).
- Points per possession for Minnesota (1st half – 1.39; 2nd half – 1.10).
- Purdue shot 47.4 percent (9-of-19) from 3-point range and during Purdue's nine-game winning streak, is now shooting 42.0 percent from 3-point range in that span. In Big Ten home games, Purdue is shooting 46.0 percent from long range.
- Purdue is now 81-16 over the last three seasons. The school record for wins in a 3-year span is 83 (2017, 2018, 2019).
- Purdue is just 106-of-159 (.667) from the free throw line in the last five games.
- Zach Edey recorded his ninth straight double-double with 24 points, 15 rebounds and 2 assists. It marked his 57th career double-double and 18th of the season. It marked his 33rd career 20-10 game, the most for a Big Ten player since the 2010-11 season by eight games (Luka Garza – 25).
- Edey now has 2,115 points and 1,143 rebounds in his career. He needs six rebounds to break the school record for career rebounds (Joe Barry Carroll – 1,148). He moved into a tie for fifth on the Big Ten's all-time rebounds list.
- Edey is the fourth player in Big Ten history with 2,100 points and 1,100 rebounds (Trayce Jackson-Davis, Ethan Happ, Joe Barry Carroll).
- Braden Smith tallied 16 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and four steals in the victory. He is the second player nationally this season to reach those marks in a game (Tulane's Kevin Cross vs. Furman; 25 pts, 12 asts, 12 rebs, 6 stls). Smith attempted just seven shots in the victory.
- Smith moved into a tie for sixth on Purdue's single-season assist list with 180.
- Smith now has 10 games of at least 10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists – tied for the third most in America.
- Smith is the first player in school history to have at least 320 points, 180 assists and 140 rebounds in a season. He is already one of just 13 players in Big Ten history to reach those marks.
- Smith is averaging 12.8 points, 7.2 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.
- Mason Gillis tallied 14 points, four rebounds and three assists and is now shooting 37-of-76 (.487) from 3-point range on the season. Purdue is 36-4 during his career when he makes at least two 3-pointers in a game.
- Trey Kaufman-Renn tied a career high with eight rebounds, coming in just 19 minutes of action.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Zach Edey overcame a slow start with 24 points and 15 rebounds as No. 2 Purdue rallied from a 10-point deficit to defeat Minnesota 84-76 on Thursday night.
The Boilermakers (23-2, 12-2 Big Ten), who trailed by 10 after the opening possession of the second half, turned to their 7-foot-4 senior All-American center to help lead the comeback. The reigning national player of the year shook off 3-of-9 shooting in the first half by moving closer to the basket with three dunks, the last slam pushing Purdue ahead 57-55 with 12:27 remaining.
"Just throw it inside. Just use him," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "They know we have him and he's going to keep working. I've watched him dominate games for four years now.
"But you're not going to have success if you don't defend. If we weren't going to be better defensively, we weren't going to win the game."
Point guard Braden Smith had 16 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for Purdue, which improved to 43-3 at home in the last three years, including 7-0 in Big Ten play this season.
"That's who we are as a team — we stick together," Smith said.
Mason Gillis hit four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points. Lance Jones added 12 for Purdue.
"We're experienced in different situations," Gillis said, referring to the halftime deficit. "When we look at each other and say, 'We got this,' we believe that and have confidence in each other."
The Gophers (15-9, 6-7) stunned Purdue early by going 9 of 16 on 3-pointers in the first half. Four different shooters hit 3s during a 19-3 run.
"Our decision-making just wasn't very good in the first half and our attention to detail on defense wasn't very good," Painter said. "They're a tough cover."
But then Minnesota went just 3 of 9 from long range in the second half.
"We're growing and we're battle-tested," Minnesota coach Ben Johnson said. "We can compete with anyone in the conference. We just have that one more step to take to be in the top half of the Big Ten."
Despite a roster with only three seniors, Johnson's resurgent squad has improved dramatically from 9-22 last season. But the Gophers lack a signature road win in conference play, dropping to 2-5 in Big Ten away games.
Dawson Garcia led the Gophers with 24 points, including three 3s. Mike Mitchell Jr. scored 14 with four 3-pointers. Cam Christie finished with 13 points, the freshman's fourth consecutive double-digit game. He also hit three 3s.
"They're going in the right direction," Painter said of the Gophers. "They should feel good about where they are."
BIG PICTURE
Minnesota: The Gophers showed they can play with one of the best teams in the country, albeit for one half. But when the 3-point shooting cooled off, so did Minnesota. This team has scoring balance and could be dangerous at tournament time, presuming it can shoot well consistently.
Purdue: What looked easy in the opening minutes proved anything but as the Boilermakers were visibly frustrated at times. But the second half was a reminder why these Boilermakers are not going to rattle when facing adversity. This team seems much better equipped for the NCAA Tournament than the No. 1 seed that was stunned in the opening round a year ago.