Purdue center Zach Edey goes to the basket during the second half of an NCAA basketball game against Iowa on Monday in West Lafayette, Ind.
AP photo
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Purdue guard Lance Jones (55) reacts after scoring during the second half of an NCAA basketball game against Iowa on Monday in West Lafayette, Ind.
AP photo
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Zach Edey was dominant, but Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said the rest of Purdue’s team deserves credit too.
Edey scored 25 points and had 12 rebounds as No. 4 Purdue bounced back from its first loss of the season and blew past Iowa 87-68 on Monday night.
“He’s difficult, but I think you have to give credit to the rest of the guys that are out there for them,” McCaffery said. “They really executed tonight in terms of screening and cutting and ball movement which makes it really hard if you’re trying to focus on him. Obviously, they’re not a one man show at all. They have shooters, they have drivers, they have size. They stretch your defense in ways that makes it very difficult.”
Edey hit 9 of 10 shots and 7 of 9 free throws while sitting out much of the second half. Lance Jones added 17 points for Purdue (8-1, 1-1 Big Ten), playing its first game since a 92-88 overtime loss to Northwestern on Friday.
Mason Gillis and Fletcher Loyer each scored 12 and Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 10.
Ben Krikke led the Hawkeyes (5-3, 0-1) with 16 points and Tony Perkins added 12.
The Boilermakers, who never trailed, kept building on their 21-point halftime lead most of the second half before going to their reserves. Purdue’s largest lead was 35 points at 72-37.
Purdue, which held a 41-35 rebounding edge, shot 52% while holding Iowa to 38% shooting.
Gillis sank a 3-pointer with 6 seconds left in first half to give Purdue a 45-24 halftime lead. The Hawkeyes shot 32% in the first half, making only 1 of 9 3-point shots. The Boilermakers shot 48% before intermission, making 6 of 17 3-pointers.
“I just thought we were aggressive against their press,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “When we got the ball out of our hands and had space, our guys really advanced it with the pass and dribbles. Our guys did a good job of being receivers and flashing.”
Jones and Braden Smith, who had eight assists, both did a strong job with diagonal passes, Painter said.
“Braden played great and he only made one shot,” he said.
ALABAMA 89, ARKANSAS ST. 65
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Freshman Jarin Stevenson had 13 points off the bench, Aaron Estrada and Mark Sears reached scoring milestones and Alabama cruised to a victory over Arkansas State.
Estrada finished with 11 points to top the 1,600-point plateau and Sears scored 13 to surpass 1,500 career points for the Crimson Tide (6-2). Grant Nelson, a transfer from North Dakota State who averaged 19.9 points and 9.8 rebounds last season, had 12 points. Mohamed Wague contributed 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
Taryn Todd had 15 points as all five starters scored in double figures for the Red Wolves (2-7). Dyondre Dominguez and Derrian Ford added 12 points apiece and Freddy Hicks and Izaiyah Nelson each scored 10. Nelson led the team with seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
Grant Nelson and Sears scored 10 points apiece and Alabama sank half of their 18 shots from 3-point range in taking a 49-28 lead at halftime. Todd had 10 points at the half for Arkansas State. The Red Wolves never threatened in the second half.
Alabama shot 42% from 3-point range (13 of 31) and sank 20 of 24 free throws. The Crimson Tide entered play averaging 94.9 points per game, second highest in the country. The Tide also came in averaging 23.1 made free throws per game, also second best. They were 20 of 24 at the foul line against the Red Wolves.
WEST VIRGINIA 83, No. 25 PENN STATE 65
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — JJ Quinerly scored 22 points, Jordan Harrison had 14 points, nine assists and six steals, and West Virginia beat No. 25 Penn State for its first victory in the series since 1989.
West Virginia has won just seven of the 33 games in the series with Penn State — with the last win, 76-64, coming on March 8, 1989 in State College.
Kyah Watson added 15 points, Lauren Fields had 12 and Tavy Diggs 10 for West Virginia (8-0).
West Virginia took its first double-digit lead of the game during a 12-2 run to close the first half. Quinerly had 13 points in the first half as the Mountaineers shot 46%, including 5 of 8 from distance.
Penn State never got closer than seven points in the second half.
Tay Valladay led Penn State (7-2) with 18 points. Ali Brigham and Chanaya Pinto each scored 10. Penn State’s top two leading scorers, Makenna Marisa (17 points per game) and Shay Ciezki (15.5) combined for eight points on 3-for-14 shooting.
Penn State entered averaging 86.3 points per game, while shooting 50% from the field and 41% from beyond the arc this season. The Lady Lions shot 47% against West Virginia but turned it over 26 times, leading to 31 West Virginia points.
Penn State, which has Big 12 wins against Kansas and Oklahoma State this season, begins Big Ten play at No. 12 Ohio State on Sunday. West Virginia hosts Delaware State on Sunday.