Purdue 64, Rutgers 65- Quick Game Wrap

Foul trouble kept Zach Edey on the bench early, and Paul Mulcahy was too much in the second half, as Rutgers knocks off the #1 ranked Boilermakers, 65-64.

This was the second straight season Rutgers takes down an undefeated and top ranked Purdue team.

Zach Edey had 19 points and 11 rebounds, but Cam Spencer's three with just over 10 seconds left takes down Purdue.

Zach Edey got caught helping and was out of position when Clifford Omoruyi rose up for a one-handed dunk off a Paul Mulcahy pass. Edey had no other option than to contest the attempt and the refs whistled the big man for his second foul with 9:37 left in the first half.

Edey was playing with an early foul after committing his first on the first possession of the game. A blocking call as Omoruyi posted him up on the left block.

This was the first time Purdue had to deal with their star big man in foul trouble early in a game.

With their big man on the bench, they looked to their point guard, Braden Smith, to create offense. Smith was able to get to the line, driving left and absorbing a hit from Paul Mulcahy. The next possession he bailed the offense out again when Smith hit Purdue's second three of the game as the shot clock was winding down to give Purdue the 18-15 lead.

But Rutgers moved to a more aggressive press without the concern of Zach Edey in the post. Purdue's young guards looked like freshman for the first time this season.

Purdue's offense started turning over the ball and Rutgers took advantage of it. Purdue had 5 turnovers in 4 minutes of play, while Rutgers made all 3 field goal attempts in that time. Rutgers were able to use the turnovers to build their first big advantage of the game, going up 25-18.

Coach Matt Painter had seen enough. He brought Zach Edey back in despite the two fouls after calling a timeout to try and regather his team. Brandon Newman missed a three on the first possession, but Edey was able to deflect it to Mason Gillis who scored his second basket on a left lay up.

But Painter wasn't willing to risk Edey's third foul for long and Rutgers was able to expand the lead. Neither team could find their shot from distance - a season-trend for both - but without Edey, Rutgers dominated paint points in the first half.

A difficult floater by Cam Spencer gave Rutgers the first double-digit lead of the game, pushing Rutger's lead to 34-24 after Caleb Furst was unable to possess a defensive rebound near the sideline.

In what was a perfect encapsulation of Purdue's first half, the half ended with Ethan Morton getting a clean look from the corner. The three-pointer looked to go all the way down before swirling, ricocheting, and jumping out of the hoop.

Rutgers would go into half against the #1 team in the nation smelling upset just a year after knocking Purdue from the ranks of unbeaten and the #1 spot in the AP poll last season.

If Purdue was gonna come out with energy in the second half and cut away at Rutgers lead, they were gonna need to hit some shots. But it was Rutgers that drew first blood when Clifford Omoruyi hit just his 4th three-pointer of the season. That gave Rutgers a 13-point lead and Purdue looked to be reeling.

Cue Fletcher Loyer on a possession that looked like it was going nowhere. Purdue had just 3 seconds on the clock and was inbounding near half-court. Loyer caught the ball on the corner, pump faked and sent his man flying by, and he was able to knock down his first three of the game.

That brought Purdue back to trailing just 39-29 with just over 17 minutes left in the game.

Then Zach Edey was called for his third foul and had to go to the bench again.

The next possession, Purdue found another three-pointer. This time Caleb Furst hit one from the top of the arc after missing his first two attempts of the game. Furst's three pulled the game back to 40-34.

Zach Edey wouldn't stay on the bench long and his running hook shot brought the game back to just four, 40-36, and Mackey Arena was starting to come alive.

Purdue was shooting 31% from the floor, with 10 turnovers, and 4 of 17 shooting from three when Zach Edey went to the line trailing, 45-40. It was Rutgers 6th foul and meant Purdue would be in the bonus going forward. There was 11:11 left in the game. Purdue's edge at the free throw line was keeping Purdue in the game.

After Edey missed the first and made the second, Purdue had a 20-6 edge on free throw attempts, and Rutgers had just a 4 point lead.

Zach Edey continued to be the difference for Purdue on offense, drawing Rutgers attention inside, and when they sent a double his way with just over 10 minutes left in the game, he was able to find Brandon Newman open in the far corner. Newman's second three brought Purdue to within one possession for the first time in the second half, 47-44.

Caleb McConnell immediately air balled the next shot for Rutgers, and Purdue had a chance to tie the game again with Edey in the post. The double came and he looked across court again, but this time sailed the pass over David Jenkins Jr.'s head for Purdue's first turnover of the second half after 8 in the first half.

An Ethan Morton lob found Zach Edey alone at the rim. He grabbed the pass, gathered, went up with two hands and flushed it and drew a foul. His free throw pulled Purdue within 1 with 7:16 left.

Rutgers wasn't done though, and some luck was on their side as Aundre Wyatt shot from the corner, saw the ball bounce off the back of the rim straight up, and then inexplicably came straight down.

Purdue still couldn't find their own jumpers, but their big men were starting to get looks at the hoop. Zach Edey fed Caleb Furst on a cut and Furst finished through contact. He missed the free throw and Rutgers was up 52-50.

Then Purdue got the bounce it was looking for, literally, as a pass hit straight off the face of Caleb McConnell and Ethan Morton chased the ricochet down the court and made the lay up to finally tie the game, 52-52, with 5:37 remaining and forcing Rutgers to call a timeout.

Purdue would take their first lead of the second half off a heady play by Zach Edey. A missed three bounced up and Edey had three men on him. He wasn't able to come down with it but he punched the ball out where one pass later, Newman faked a pass before making his third three of the game and giving Purdue the 55-54 lead with under 5 minutes left.

Rutgers wasn't going down without a fight, and Paul Mulcahy was starting to get in a rhythm. He hit a pull up mid range jumper and on a following possession followed up his own missed floater. He pulled down the rebound and was able to finish between Purdue defenders, drawing the foul and going to the line with 3:41 remaining with a chance to push their lead back up to 3.

Mulcahy wouldn't be done and he wouldn't be denied. His 9 straight points kept Rutgers ahead of Purdue, against finding his own miss and finishing at the hoop to push Rutgers back up 62-59 after Newman hit a mid range jumper and Zach Edey finished a dunk inside.

Fletcher Loyer had a chance to cut the lead from the line, but the true freshman missed both and Purdue needed a stop. They got one when Edey swatted a Mulcahy floater and McConnell lost track of the shot clock on the inbound and Purdue forced a shot clock violation.

Fletcher Loyer would get two more free throw attempts and make them both, and Purdue found themselves down just 1, 62-61.

Matt Painter had three timeouts left and started to use them, substituting offense for defense. He brought Ethan Morton in on defense, and Purdue's defensive stopped forced Mulcahy into a tough twisting floater that Edey was able to grab.

With 42.8 seconds left, Painter called a timeout and set up a play for Purdue to take the lead late.

Purdue wanted to find Edey on the play and Fletcher Loyer did, but Rutgers doubled quickly and forced the ball out of his hand. A quick pass to Smith on the perimeter and then a swing to Loyer found the true freshman wide open with the game on the line. Loyer had been 1 of 4 from three and struggling coming into the game, but he rose in rhythm and the ball found the net. It was just Purdue's 7th three of the game, but it gave them their biggest lead of the half, 64-62 with less than thirty seconds left.

But Rutgers tends to like the dramatic against Purdue, and Cam Spencer got free up top and hit his second three of the game, giving Rutgers the lead again, 65-64.

Purdue would in bound and call a timeout with 10 seconds left trailing by 1 at home after missing out on being the nation's unanimous #1 team by one AP vote.

Purdue had just one goal, get the ball to Edey, but Rutgers was on it and doubled quick. He kicked out to Smith who got it back inside to Edey who kicked out again, and eventually the ball found its way to Brandon Newman who had a clean look at 3, but the ball bounced just short and Edey couldn't control the tip and it ended up going out of bounds off Purdue.

With .4 seconds left the game was all but over, but Caleb McConnell moved on the in bounds and Purdue would get one last in bound with just .4 on the clock.

Purdue attempted to find Edey again but the ball went high and Rutgers upset the #1 Boilers for the second time in two seasons, 65-64.

Big Ten play didn't help Purdue find their shot in the first half. Both teams continued to struggle from beyond the arc, but Purdue's 2 for 11 from three continued a worrying trend for a team that didn't have Zach Edey to depend on for easy buckets for most the first half.

Rutgers was just 2 of 7, but their length at guard and the open lane on defense allowed them to get into the paint. They outscored Purdue 16-8 in paint points in the first half.

Rutgers finished the game 6 of 14, including Cam Spencer's late game winner.

Purdue was 7 of 23 from three, including an open last second look by Brandon Newman that came up just short.

Fletcher Loyer was 2 of 5 from three, including a big late three-pointer, and finished the game with 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Braden Smith struggled against Rutgers length, scoring 7 points, but committed 3 turnovers to 4 assists.

Brandon Newman had 11 points and made 3 threes for the second straight game off the bench. He also had 5 rebounds and played 23 minutes, including closing out the game where he had an open look late to win it, but came up just short.

David Jenkins Jr. continues to struggle with his shot, missing all three 3-point attempts and scored 0 points in 14 minutes.

Caleb Furst and Mason Gillis both had 7 points and combined for 7 rebounds.

Paul Mulcahy had 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. He was dynamic late, getting to the middle of the lane, and twice getting his own rebound off misses and finishing.

Cam Spencer had 14 points on 6 of 8 shooting, including the game winner with just over 10 seconds left.

Clifford Omoruyi had 12 points on 11 field goal attempts, and grabbed 6 rebounds.