Edey’s career-high 21 points lift Boilermakers over Wisconsin 73-69

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Freshman Zach Edey scored a career-high 21 points and Jaden Ivey added 18 to help No. 23 Purdue hold on for a 73-69 victory over No. 25 Wisconsin on Tuesday night.

The Boilermakers (17-8, 12-6 Big Ten) have won four straight and five of their last six.

Ben Davison led the Badgers with 15 points. Micah Potter and Nate Reuvers each had 11 points for Wisconsin (16-10, 10-9), which has lost four of its last five overall —- all against ranked teams. The Badgers also lost their fifth in a row at Mackey Arena, where they are 4-42 all-time.

Edey’s spectacular finish helped Purdue maintain that home dominance.

At one point, the 7-foot-4 center scored nine consecutive points for the Boilermakers as they clung to a 54-52 lead with 7:13 to go. Purdue never trailed again.

And after Aaron Wheeler’s 3-pointer gave Purdue a 61-56 cushion with 4:44 left, Edey made the next two baskets to keep the Boilermakers in front.

Edey was 8 of 11 from the field and had seven rebounds before the Boilermakers closed it out at the free-throw line.

BIG PICTURE

Wisconsin: The Badgers haven’t traditionally played well at Mackey. What isn’t common — Wisconsin finishing poorly while trying to finish above .500 in league play. They need a quick turnaround to make a conference tournament run.

Purdue: The Boilermakers have held 14 consecutive opponents to 72 or fewer points and the scoring punch of the rapidly improving freshmen has been the perfect combination to build momentum. Purdue also happens to be 13-1 inside Indiana this season and will play the rest of this season in the state, too.

PAYING TRIBUTE

Before the national anthem was played, Purdue officials paid tribute to longtime radio voice Larry Clisby by playing a video on the main scoreboard. Clisby died Saturday at his home in Florida. He was 74. Clisby was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung and metastatic brain cancer in June 2018 and retired before the start of this season. He called 1,189 games during a career that spanned nearly 40 years and included his induction into the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame in 2018.

UP NEXT

Wisconsin: Closes out the regular season Sunday at No. 5 Iowa.

Purdue: Hosts rival Indiana on Saturday, seeking a school record-tying ninth straight win in the series.