Purdue basketball finishes non-conference schedule with rout of Eastern Kentucky
Sam KingWEST LAFAYETTE — Another run through the non-conference schedule for Purdue basketball.
The No. 1-ranked Boilermakers completed their third straight unbeaten run of regular season non-conference foes Friday night in Mackey Arena, beating Eastern Kentucky 80-53.
Four Boilermakers scored in double figures led by Fletcher Loyer's 14.
With the victory, Purdue extended its streak of non-conference regular season victories to 35.
In doing so, Purdue put on a show, which included a reverse alley-oop dunk from Braden Smith to Camden Heide that got the home fans fired up. That was the first of two highlight reel dunks for the redshirt freshman.
Zach Edey scored six straight points in the second half and finished with 13 to extend his streak of scoring at least 10 points to 64 consecutive games.
It was over when
The Boilermakers had mishaps out of the gate, turning the ball over three times in their first six possessions.
The early carelessness allowed Eastern Kentucky to hang around. The Colonels kept pace in an 8-8 game. Fletcher Loyer's runner put Purdue ahead for good with the Boilers going on a 21-6 run.
Loyer scored nine points during the run.
3 stars
Mason Gillis, Purdue: The guy simply lives on doing the dirty work and he was a spark off the bench immediately when the Boilermakers needed it early. By halftime Gillis already matched his season high in rebounds. He'd finish with 10 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists in 17 minutes.
Fletcher Loyer, Purdue: Loyer has shown why he's in the starting lineup on numerous occasions. Yes, Eastern Kentucky is an inferior opponent, but without Loyer, Purdue would've struggled to get separation in the first half.
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue: The redshirt sophomore has now scored in double figures three times in the last five games, including the last two. Kaufman-Renn posted 10 points, 6 rebounds and a steal without a turnover in 17 minutes.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.