Purdue Win Secures Share of Title

Purdue Win Secures Share of Title

by: Steven Stremming

photos by: Kyle Babcock, Sports Media

On a night where Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans needed a win, (after losing two straight) they came into a sold-out Mackey Arena and gave the #2 Excel H Sports, Boilermakers a game.

Michigan State thought safe for the NCAA tournament, is still searching for that one victory that will ensure them that spot.

The Spartans showed their willingness to mix it up early in the contest and bolted out into an early lead, though one that would not last.

The reigning National Player of the Year, Zach Edey was once again devastating in the paint, as he drew foul after foul from his counterpart Spartys.

Edey and Sophomore Braden Smith would finish the night with 55 combined points and a share of the B1G Ten title for the second year in a row and the 26th in Purdue history.

Edey would finish with 32 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Edey also was fourteen of twenty from the charity stripe.

Smith would score 23 points, on eight for eleven from the field that included a perfect four of four from behind the arc. Smith also collected nine rebounds and was a thorn in the Spartans side all night.

We don’t know if Fletcher Loyer has shot himself out of a long shooting slump but on this night Loyer, hit five of nine from the floor including four of six from three-point land. These four represent an uptick for Loyer from his nine made shots in the month of February.

Mason Gillis, the Senior hit a crucial three to maintain Purdue’s lead late as the Spartans made a final run at Purdue. Gillis would end his night with seven points and four assists.

Purdue shot 51% percent from the floor, 50% from behind the arc and 66.7% from the line.

For Michigan State, Malik Hall would lead the team in scoring with 17,, Tyson Walker 14, Jaden Akins 13 and Indianapolis Catheral graduate and freshman Xavier Booker with 11.

(The following is credit sourced to Purdue University Athletics)

• Painter Postgame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_9GvaHKdG0
• Players Postgame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P55afk6kJu8

• Purdue improved to 26-3 overall and 15-3 in the Big Ten Conference with an 80-74 win over Michigan State in Mackey Arena.
• The win clinched a share of the Big Ten title for the second straight year and Purdue still holds a two-game lead with two games to play.
• Purdue has now won consecutive Big Ten titles for the first time since the “threepeat” in 1994, 1995 and 1996. The Boilermakers have won four Big Ten regular-season titles in the last eight years (2017, 2019, 2023, 2024).
• Matt Painter has now won five Big Ten regular-season titles, tied for the seventh most in Big Ten history. In the last 50 years, only Bob Knight (11), Tom Izzo (10) and Gene Keady (6) have won more league titles.
• The win was the 57^th Big Ten win for the senior class (last four years), tying a school record for most wins by a class in league play.
• Purdue has won at least 15 games in Big Ten play for the second straight year, the first time since 1995 and 1996 it has won 15 or more league games in consecutive seasons. Purdue has now won 15 or more league games in four of the last seven seasons.
• The victory over Michigan State was Purdue’s nation-leading 10^th quad-1 win of the season.
• The win was Matt Painter’s 17^th win against Tom Izzo, the most for a coach against the Hall of Famer. Painter is now 17-16 against Izzo during his career.
• Purdue has won eight of the last nine games against Michigan State, including four straight wins. The Boilermakers have won seven in a row at home against the Spartans.
• The win was Purdue’s 16^th straight at home, now tied for the seventh-longest streak in America. Purdue will look for its third unbeaten season in Mackey Arena next Sunday against Wisconsin (2011, 2019).
• Purdue’s 84 wins over the last three seasons are now the most in school history.
• Purdue needs just one more regular-season win to tie the school record for most regular-season victories in school history.
• Purdue is 89-3 since the start of the 2017-18 season when scoring at least 80 points.
• Purdue is 66-6 since the start of the 2017-18 season when making at least 10, 3-pointers.
• Purdue has won 46 straight games when shooting a higher field goal percentage than its foe.
• Zach Edey recorded his 60^th career double-double with 32 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocked shots.
• Edey moved into 12^th on Purdue’s single-season scoring list (696 points).
• Edey surpassed 2,200 career points in the win and moved into 10^th place on the Big Ten’s all-time career scoring list (2,229 points).
• Edey moved into fourth place on Purdue’s career blocked shots list (211).
• Edey and Navy’s David Robinson (1984-87) are the only players in NCAA history with at least 2,200 points, 1,100 rebounds, 200 blocks and to shoot at least 60.0 percent from the field.
• Edey recorded his 15^th career 30-10 game. No other current active player has more than four.
• In Zach Edey’s last three games against Michigan State, he has averaged 34.0 points, 13.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game after going for 32 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists.
• Braden Smith scored 23 points with nine rebounds, three assists and a steal. Smith surpassed 700 career points in the win.
• For the season, Smith now has 379 points, 206 assists, 172 rebounds and 50 steals. Smith and Michigan State’s Magic Johnson (1979) are the only players in Big Ten history with 375 points, 200 assists, 170 rebounds and 50 steals in a season.
• Fletcher Loyer tallied 15 points and three assists, going 4-of-6 from 3-point range.