A 3-point shot made by Purdue senior guard David Jenkins Jr. capped off a 17-3 run by the Boilermakers to put them up 42-34 at the half.
The 1-seeded Purdue men’s basketball team (27-5) faced 13-seeded Ohio State (16-18) in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center Saturday afternoon.
Junior center Zach Edey led the team with 17 points and a rebound by the end of the half. Jenkins and sophomore forward Caleb Furst were second, each scoring 6 points and a combined three rebounds.
After a 70-65 win over Rutgers Friday, the Boilermakers advanced to the semifinals for the second year in a row. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes became the lowest seed to ever reach the semifinals with its 68-58 upset of the 4-seeded Michigan State.
Completely opposite from yesterday’s first half, it was a 3-point shooting party as Purdue junior guard Brandon Newman and freshman guard Fletcher Loyer both hit early 3-point baskets to start the game.
Freshman guard Braden Smith hit Purdue’s third 3-point shot of the game to put the Boilermakers up by 5 points, but Ohio State freshman guard Roddy Gayle Jr. hit a 3-point shot to answer and bring the game back to 2 points.
Gayle made two more 3-point shots to tie the game at 19 apiece, but from there it was all Buckeyes with a 7-0 run to put them up halfway through the first. Another 3-point basket made, combined with a five-minute scoring drought for Purdue gave the Buckeyes a 6-point lead late with seven minutes to go.
Edey finally got it going for the Boilermakers, getting an and-one layup that got the mostly Purdue-fan-filled United Center cheering.
Even though the Purdue offense wasn’t hitting all of its shots, the defense stepped up, forcing four turnovers in five minutes. Ohio State didn't score any points in that timespan. A jump shot by Smith helped the Boilermakers get back into the game, down by 2 points.
A flagrant foul called on the Buckeyes allowed Purdue to capitalize with Edey making two free throws and a layup to give the Boilermakers the lead. Jenkins picked up right where he left off Friday, making a 3-point shot with two minutes left in the half, forcing an Ohio State timeout.