BOILERS RUN AWAY FROM SAMFORD

November 8, 2023 Broadcast, College 0

BOILERS RUN AWAY FROM SAMFORD

By Shawn Martin
Excelhsports.com
Almost all sports fans are familiar with the Hoosiers movie character “Ollie” – the diminutive substitute player who endeared himself to movie goers in the 1986 film loosely based on the Milan Miracle.
Samford University sent their starting point guard Dallas Graziani – generously listed at 5 foot 8 and 140 pounds – to “jump” against Purdue’s 7 foot four 300-pound reigning National Player of the Year Zach Edey to tipoff the 2023-24 season.
Graziani’s looks and stature very much resemble that of Wade Schenck, the actor who portrayed Ollie in the movie. Like Schenck in real life, Graziani is a player that offsets his size with grit, tenacity, and fearlessness. He played 21 minutes (second most on the team) and never backed away from anyone.
As you would expect, the jump ball to start the game was just a precursor to the mismatch that the country’s #2 Ranked Purdue team had against their Southern Conference opponent.
The Boilers thrilled the raucous sellout Mackey Arena crowd with a variety of three-point bombs and high-flying ally-oop dunks, combined with their trademark hard-nosed defensive approach. 
 
The feisty Bulldogs pressed nearly the entire game and did force 15 Boilermaker turnovers for the game. The first ten to twelve minutes of the game were very physical and chippy. One incident led to offsetting Technical Fouls on players from each team. The entire game more resembled the physicality of a B1G game in late January – albeit with vastly different talent levels.
 
Purdue led 14-1 at the first media timeout and built a dominating 51-17 margin as the teams headed to their lockers for halftime. 
 
Boilermaker coach Matt Painter was generous in doling out playing time throughout the game. Twelve Purdue players played at least seven minutes. The Boilermaker faithful got their first real look at grad transfer Lance Jones (Southern Illinois) – a speed demon on both ends of the court – Camden Heide (redshirt freshman), and Myles Colvin (true freshman). Those three are the main new faces on one of the nation’s most intact returning rosters from last year. The three combined for 27 points.
 
Edey led all scorers with 16 points and 11 rebounds in an efficient 20 minutes of court time. Heide used his time wisely and scored 13, while the sophomore starting guard duo of Brayden Smith and Fletcher Loyer split 24 points evenly. Ten Boilermakers scored at least five points.
 
Samford senior Jaden Campbell led the Bulldogs with 11 points.
 
Purdue (1-0) hosts Morehead State Friday night in Mackey Arena. Samford (0-1) travels to Richmond, Virginia Friday to visit Virginia Commonwealth.
  • Purdue opened the 2023-24 season with a 98-45 win over defending SoCon regular-season champ Samford in the season opener for both teams.
  • The Boilermakers are now 18-1 under Matt Painter in season openers and have won 11 straight season openers by an average of 30.7 points per game.
  • Purdue’s 53-point victory was its largest since a 57-point win over Omaha (Nov. 26, 2021). The margin was the largest in a season opener since a 62-point win over Northern Illinois on Nov. 11, 2011. The 53-point margin was the 11th-largest margin in school history.
  • Purdue has won 25 straight regular-season, non-conference games, now tied for the longest streak in school history and the longest streak in the country (New Mexico entered night with 15 straight wins).
  • The win was Purdue’s 15th straight in the month of November – the second-longest streak in the country (Arizona entered night with 22).
  • Purdue’s 16, 3-pointers are the most in a season opener in school history and tied for the seventh most in a game in school history.
  • Seven different players made a 3-pointer in the victory.
  • The Boilermakers have won 29 straight games when making 10 or more 3-pointers.
  • Thirteen of Purdue’s 17 players scored in the win.
  • Purdue recorded 29 assists on 34 made field goals. The 29 assists were the most since having 30 against Nicholls on Dec. 29, 2021.
  • Purdue has won 50 straight games when scoring 80 or more points, dating to a Dec. 15, 2018, loss to Notre Dame.
  • Purdue’s 34-point halftime lead (51-17) tied for the ninth-largest halftime lead in school history.
  • Purdue started the game on an 11-0 run and led 21-2 before Samford made a field goal (13:21 left in first half).
  • Purdue’s bench outscored Samford’s team by a 47-45 margin.
  • Purdue’s 10 blocked shots were its most since last year’s season opener (11 vs. Milwaukee).
  • Zach Edey recorded a double-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and two assists. He joins Joe Barry Carroll and the late Caleb Swanigan as the only players since 1972 to record double-doubles in two season openers.
  • The double-double was Edey’s 40th of his career and he has scored 10 or more points in 52 straight games – the longest streak in the country.
  • Edey moved into eighth on Purdue’s career rebounds list (858).
  • Playing in his first career game, Camden Heide had 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 16:31 of action.
  • Braden Smith had 12 points, seven assists, four rebounds and a steal, making 4-of-5 from long distance.

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