Purdue 92, Alabama 86- Hall of Fame Series Quick Wrap

Purdue survived Alabama's three-point shooting, and Zach Edey showed off in front of his home crowd, scoring 35 points, as Purdue outlasted the Crimson Tide 92-86 in Toronto Canada.

Alabama answered every run early with a three, so it was fitting that Purdue took its first lead of the second half with a three of its own. Zach Edey found Mason Gillis curling off a screen and the senior to senior pass led to a three-pointer from the left wing that gave Purdue a 62-60 lead with just over 11 minutes to play.

A couple plays later, the two seniors would combine powers to get a true freshman involved, extending Purdue's lead.

On a missed jumper, Zach Edey was able to use every inch of his wing span to deflect the rebound out where a hustling Mason Gillis corralled it for just long enough to find Myles Colvin in a near identical spot to Gillis's three a moment before and the true freshman wing would knock down the three to give Purdue its biggest lead to that point, 73-64.

But Alabama, behind a brilliant Mark Sears performance, wouldn't go lightly. After a hook and hold call going against Zach Edey, and Mohamed Wague converting one of two free throws, Sears hit a jumper off an in bounds to give Alabama the lead back 76-75.

Purdue then found Edey inside on a post that the Toronto native finished with a two-handed dunk. Then Smith found Edey on the next possession on a hard roll, and Edey finished through a foul to give Purdue a 79-76 edge with 3:43 to play. His first free throw of the second half would. be converted to give Purdue the four point edge.

But Alabama would spam a hard screen for Mark Spears to give him another open three from the corner and Alabama would get within 1, 80-79, in a game that looked destined to come down to the wire.

Edey would add two more free throws to give Purdue a three-point cushion on the next possession, and Smith would add a lay up off a pick and roll to give Purdue another two-possession lead. A Sears lay up in retaliation would be met with Smith's third pull up three of the half to give Purdue an 87-81 lead.

With a minute a half to play, Smith couldn't get another three to fall and Wague would finish through Edey contact for a lay up and foul with 1:22 in the game. A lane violation would give Wague two chances to convert and Bama would pull within three again.

But with Nick Pringle fouled out already, Alabama was running out of bodies when Edey drew another foul on Wague, his fifth, and Edey would stay perfect from the line, building Purdue's lead to 5.

Bama's Grant Nelson would then get caught in the air on its next possession and Lance Jones would steal his pass out to the perimeter.

But a Purdue turnover of its own on an in bounds that bounced off Fletcher Loyer's hands would give Sears an easy lay up and Purdue would have an 89-86 lead with 22.9 seconds to play.

Lance Jones was able to break the next press and make one of two free throws to ice things for Purdue as Sears missed a lay up against Morton on the next possession.

Mark Sears was absolutely terrific for Alabama, scoring 35 points, including knocking down 8 three-pointers on 16 attempts.

But it was Toronto's own, Zach Edey, with 35 points and 7 rebounds that controlled the game late, including making all 11 of his free throw attempts.

He had help though, with Braden Smith scoring a career-high 27 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 8 assists.

Braden Smith was caught near the basket, but saw Edey hanging in the paint behind him. So the guard threw the ball up off the glass and rim in hopes Edey would collect the miss. Edey did, but couldn't get the put back to go. It looked like Alabama was gonna get a transition basket off it the other way, but Lance Jones and Ethan Morton had other ideas.

With Alabama pushing, Lance Jones got up in the air and a hand on a pass that deflected towards the baseline. Ethan Morton ran to the ball, stayed in bounds, and not just saved it, but threw it ahead to Jones who was sprinting up the court for a wide open lay up.

The bucket cut an Alabama lead that had threatened double-digits again to start the half, to just 60-57 with 13:02 to play in the game.

Alabama hit Purdue hard and it hit them quick, jumping off to an 8-0 lead before Trey Kaufman-Renn knocked down a three to give Purdue its first basket of the game.

Zach Edey was headed back home, playing in front of his family and friends in Toronto, Canada. But it was Alabama that looked comfortable north of the border early. Bama was 13 of 24 from three in the first half and led almost the entirety of the first half.

An early four-point play by Lance Jones looked to spark Purdue. It was one of just three made threes for Purdue in the first half, but while the four points cut Alabama's lead to 13-9, Alabama was right back on the run.

Mark Sears would hit one of his three first half threes to extend the lead to 16-9 then another, stepping back at the top of the key and clearing space over Ethan Morton to give the Crimson Tide a ten point lead with 15:02 left in the first half.

Zach Edey's presence inside kept Purdue in it, drawing fouls and getting to the line. Edey would have 18 first half points, six coming from the line, as he kept constant pressure on Alabama's interior defenders. Both starters, Mohamed Wague, and Nick Pringle would pick up three fouls in the first half.

Purdue would finally pull within a basket of Alabama when Mason Gillis found Zach Edey inside, who sealed, spun, and threw down a dunk to get the game within 31-29.

But Jarin Stevenson would add another three for Alabama on the next possession to add back to Bama's lead. Stevenson one of seven Alabama players with a three in the first half.

Purdue could never cover the gap in the first half, but two final Edey free throws at the end of the half off an in bounds play would have the first half end 49-47 in favor of Alabama.

The first half was a perfect example of the dichotomy of basketball efficiency.

Alabama were flame throwers from deep, knocking down 13 of 24 three-pointers in the first half. Mark Sears led the way, scoring 15 points, making 4 of 8 from three while Grant Nelsono stretched out Purdue's defense early knocking down 2 three-pointers. Seven different Alabama players knocked down a three in the first half. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. led the way for Bama's bench, knocking down 3 of 4 threes for all 9 of his first half points.

At the other end, Purdue's size and skill inside forced Alabama into a lot of foul trouble on its way to getting to the line 17 times. Zach Edey was perfect from the line, hitting 6 of 6, on his way to 18 first half points. Purdue as a team made 14 of its 17 attempts. Purdue had just 3 made threes on 7 attempts. Purdue was able to get Alabama into foul trouble with Mohamed Wague and Nick Pringle both getting three fouls in the first half.