Zach Edey scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds to keep No. 5 Purdue unbeaten with a 79-69 victory over Florida State in an ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup Wednesday night in Tallahassee, Fla.
The Boilermakers (7-0), who soared in the most recent AP Top 25 rankings after wins over Gonzaga and Duke, found themselves in a battle with the Seminoles (1-8) for just over a half.
Tom House’s 3-pointer with 14:32 left in the second half gave Florida State a 47-46 lead.
But the Boilermakers answered with a 9-0 run keyed by Caleb Furst and Braden Smith as they took advantage of a lull in FSU’s defensive pressure.
The Seminoles would draw as close as three before Purdue pulled away for good with under two minutes left. Florida State, which has dealt with a number of injuries and the suspension of touted freshman Baba Miller, lost its fourth consecutive game.
Darin Green Jr. finished with 23 points and Matthew Cleveland scored 20 and grabbed six rebounds to pace Florida State.
Cam’Ron Fletcher totaled nine points and 10 rebounds and Caleb Mills had 10 points.
But Purdue dominated overall on the glass and outrebounded the Seminoles 46-31 and outscored them 38-24 in the paint thanks largely to Edey, who shot 11 of 14 from the field.
Smith totaled 13 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while Fletcher Loyer had 11 points and four assists.
Florida State kept itself in the game with a much more efficient performance than it had during the recent ESPN Events Invitational. The Seminoles kept the turnovers low, committing only eight. But Purdue took care of the basketball as well with 14 assists to only 11 turnovers.
The Boilermakers shot 53.6 percent from the field in the second half and went 22-for-31 from the free-throw line for the game.
Both teams will open conference play in their next games. Purdue will host Minnesota on Sunday while Florida State will travel to play No. 3 Virginia on Saturday.
–Field Level Media
