Purdue outlasts Florida State to stay unbeaten

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Matt Painter values adversity this time of year, as his fifth-ranked team comes off a tour de force in Portland, adversity took many forms Wednesday night at Florida State. Tested, the Boilermakers passed, grinding one out at the Tucker Center to win 79-69 in what’ll likely be the final Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Zach Edey scored 25 points and Braden Smith again took command of a close game in the final 10 minutes as the travel-weary Boilermakers shook a persistent Seminole squad. Smith finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

PDF: Purdue-Florida State statistics

This was the definition of a back-and-forth affair as Purdue led by four early in the second half only to trail by four two minutes until. It wasn’t until the 14-minute mark or so that the Boilermakers took control, claiming the lead for good with a run of nine straight points, but still needing a series a key scores, key stops and a parade of last-minute free throws to stave off a Florida State team that played way better than its record.

For Purdue, dealing with adversity meant absorbing FSU’s proverbial best shot, but also overcoming a trying travel schedule that involved the Boilermakers arriving back in West Lafayette in the early morning hours Monday after a week in Portland, then arriving in Tallahassee after midnight Wednesday morning due to weather-related flight delays. Purdue’s plane had been stuck in Des Moines.

“It’s tough on the body … I’m running on like five hours of sleep right now,” Edey said. “It was definitely a tough game physically. I think you could see it on the court with our team. Everybody was a little bit sluggish and it was our fourth game in a week on the road. It’s a lot on the body.”

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ZACH EDEY … AGAIN

Purdue couldn’t get early touches for centerpiece Zach Edey to open the game, taking its first six shots from behind the arc, similar to the Gonzaga game.

“It’s a challenge to get him the ball all the time,” Painter said. “That’s what the defense is trying to do. They’re going to try to gauge the temperature of your team. There’s a reason we’re open (from three). It’s because (defenses) are giving their time and energy to him.”

Nevertheless, dominance finds a way, and Edey’s exuded just that all season so far and was so again in Tallahassee, finishing with those 25 points after Purdue didn’t attempt a two-point field goal until nearly six minutes had run off the clock.

Painter said that in the second half, he called less offense from the sideline and just allowed Smith and Edey to run more organic offense out of high ball screens.

Here’s how that went.

After an Edey dunk at 14:13 put Purdue up one, Smith came off a screen and got all the way to the basket for a bucket, then hit Caleb Furst for a dunk, then Furst for a corner three. That was the 9-0 run that turned the game on its side.

“Z’s screening was really helpful,” Smith said. “When a 7-3 guy is setting a screen for you, it’s pretty easy to get (in the lane).”

BRADEN SMITH … AGAIN

Three games now this season — Marquette, West Virginia and now FSU — Smith showed this knack for taking command of otherwise close games, right around the midway point of the second half.

“I have no idea why that is,” Smith said. “I wish it was the first 10 minutes.”

At Florida State, it was that run mentioned earlier, but then another.

The Seminoles were within three with seven-and-a-half minutes left, Fletcher Loyer got to the basket for a basket, then Smith got downhill to make a runner over 7-foot-4 Naheem McLeod, then made two free throws. Finally, he played two-man game again with Edey and hit the big man for a dunk.

Smith flirted with a triple double and scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half.

“He’s a tough dude, man,” Painter said, “and he knows how to play.”

PURDUE LEVERAGES THE GLASS

Purdue has been a really good rebounding team; Florida State not so much.

The Boilermakers grabbed 46 rebounds to FSU’s 31 tonight and generated 12 offensive rebounds, though they turned into only eight points.

Nevertheless, Purdue really hit the glass hard, led by Smith’s nine rebounds, Edey’s eight and seven apiece from Mason Gillis and Brandon Newman.