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Zach Edey posted a 28-point, 14-rebound effort en route to leading the No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team to a 78-75 win over the No. 4 Marquette Golden Eagles in the Allstate Maui Invitational Championship on Wednesday.
Edey's tip-in layup off a Braden Smith missed three-pointer with 23 seconds left proved to be the final points.
A heart-pounding finish then took place, as Marquette missed game-tying three-point attempts both before and after Purdue missed the front end of a 1-and-1 on two occasions.
Edey rebounded a Mason Gillis 1-and-1 the first time around before missing his own free throw, leading to Marquette's final possession. Purdue chose not to foul, but Kam Jones' three was off the mark.
Purdue took a 45-33 halftime lead after Lance Jones nailed a buzzer-beater from the opposing free throw line over 70 feet away.
Marquette then launched a furious second-half comeback behind Kolek, who finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists. An Oso Ighodaro jumper with just under a minute left cut the Purdue lead to 76-75.
However, Edey hit a big bucket down the stretch, and Purdue survived.
Edey was sensational throughout the entire tournament en route to earning the Maui Invitational MVP, and he is in line for back-to-back player of the year honors, as analyst Jeff Goodman noted.
Fans and analysts alike were particularly impressed with Edey and the Boilermakers after a big statement win.
Pat McAfee @PatMcAfeeShowI've gotten the chance to meet <a href="https://twitter.com/zach_edey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@zach_edey</a> a few times over the last 6 months… I love him. <br><br>Absolute dawg.. <br><br>DON'T LOOK NOW… Purdue might win the whole damn thing <a href="https://t.co/ftlWSQ1R0E">pic.twitter.com/ftlWSQ1R0E</a>
Jerome Adams @JeromeAdamsMDThere no way you can't ❤️<a href="https://twitter.com/zach_edey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@zach_edey</a> - he plays hard, keeps getting better, and takes a BEATING- but keeps his composure. Well done young man! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoilerUp?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoilerUp</a> <a href="https://t.co/SLN58wG0kW">pic.twitter.com/SLN58wG0kW</a>
College Basketball Report @CBKReportPurdue is 6-0 and has already beaten:<br><br>#4 Marquette<br>#7 Tennessee<br>#11 Gonzaga<br>Xavier <br><br>Consensus #1. <br><br>You guys got your March jokes off all off-season… <br><br>It's time to face reality and understand that they're going to be the #1 Overall seed this season.
Mark Titus @clubtrillionNovember Purdue is just as good as I expected them to be. Never made sense why they weren't preseason #1. March Madness bias is a hell of a thing, this is basically just a better version of last year's Purdue team that was top 5 all year and #1 half the season. Maui Bump: SECURED <a href="https://t.co/8zV3ScRtMA">https://t.co/8zV3ScRtMA</a>
Both teams play at home next on Tuesday.
Edey and the 6-0 Boilermakers will host Texas Southern, and the 5-1 Golden Eagles will play Southern.
