Purdue fans rule Crisler, Michigan basketball buried by 'unicorn' Zach Edey's 35 points

When Purdue throttled Michigan basketball in a home game earlier this season by 32 points in West Lafayette, Indiana, it was demoralizing.

What happened Sunday afternoon in Ann Arbor, even though Purdue only won by eight points, felt — in some ways — as bad.

The Boilermakers and their fans turned Crisler Center into Mackey Arena North, alternating chants of "Boiler Up" with "Let's Go, Boilers!" during various runs, and though U-M never buckled, it had to withstand what felt like an away crowd in its own building at times, thanks to Michigan's spring break for students.

Purdue fans closed with a "Whose house? Our house!" chant with 20.3 seconds left, as Purdue sent U-M to its 15th loss in its past 17 games, 84-76.

Michigan (8-20, 3-14 Big Ten) has lost 20 games for the first time since 2007-08.

"I was so locked into coaching, I couldn't or didn't hear, or was not focused on as far as the fan and fan participation for Purdue or Michigan," head coach Juwan Howard said afterward. "All I recall was when we made two big runs, I heard the building loud for Michigan. ... I really applaud our fans for basically feeding life into our guys."

STILL FIGHTING: Michigan basketball, undermanned and struggling, but still fighting as Purdue looms

Michigan led by seven midway through the first half before Matt Painter's crew closed the final 10:37 of the opening period on a 32-14 run. The game was in danger of getting out of hand when Purdue opened its lead to 14 early in the second half, but a 19-12 U-M spurt got the Wolverines as close as seven points with 11:15 to play.

Michigan got that close again when Jace Howard hit a free throw with 3:14 to play, then again when Nimari Burnett drilled a 3-pointer with 1:49 to go. But one Boilermaker was too large to overcome in every sense: Zach Edey.

Well-contained in the first meeting, the defending national player of the year was on another level entirely this time around. He finished with a season-high 35 points and 15 rebounds as he drew nearly a dozen fouls by himself.

"It’s hard, he’s a unicorn," Jace Howard said of trying to defend him. "There’s not that many 7-4 guys with touch like that who can play the game that well and it makes it challenging, but I mean, it's college basketball, you're not going to just hold your head because you're (playing) someone who's good.

"You've got to survive or die, adapt or swim."

Though he didn't do all the damage down the stretch — the game was all but sealed with a Mason Gills 3-pointer with 2:10 to play, giving Purdue a 10-point edge — his impact all afternoon was more than sufficient. Edey missed his first two shots, then made 13 of his next 14, finishing 14-for-18 on the day.

The Wolverines did what they could to prepare for him during a two-day turnaround, despite their scout-team version of Edey standing just 6-6. But all game plans went out the window when foul trouble hit early.

Will Tschetter and Tarris Reed Jr. both fouled out while Tray Jackson had four, as U-M "threw everything but the kitchen sink" to try and stop Edey, according to Juwan Howard.

The Wolverines were balanced offensively, led by Dug McDaniel's 19 points (his most since scoring a career-high 33 vs. Florida in December), while Burnett scored 12 (all in the second half), Terrance Williams II added 11, Tschetter and Jackson each had 10 and Jace Howard scored eight, a career high.

Not enough in closing stretch

Jackson made a 3-pointer to cut U-M's deficit to eight, 58-50, for the first time since the middle of the first half, just before Edey began his dominant second-half stretch. He scored 11 of Purdue's next 14 points with four consecutive makes, the last of which came on a three-point play with 9:17 to play to put the Boilermakers up 12.

"We threw everything at Zach and his teammates," Juwan Howard said. "Zone, doubled, played one-on-one, man. But give Purdue credit, they're a great team and a well-coached team. ... (Edey) scored 35 points; he probably would have scored 35 on me too."

But U-M kept coming. Tschetter hit a 3-pointer to get within single digits, then Burnett added consecutive baskets before a pair of McDaniel layups got Michigan back within eight, 78-70, with 4:08 to play.

Reed fouled out moments later on a loose ball foul and McDaniel had to hold back his head coach from running on the court. Gillis and Burnett exchanged 3s to make it 81-74 before Edey's free throws put Purdue up nine. Michigan never got closer than seven again.

Michigan shot 48.3% (29-for-60) from the floor and 42.9% on 3-pointers (9-for-21), but was dominated down low by Edey and company as Purdue outscored U-M in the paint (44-26) and on second-chance points (23-7).

The Wolverines played better vs. the Boilermakers in their second meeting; was that something for Juwan Howard to take solace in?

"Absolutely, I do," Howard said. "Last time we played, it was no Dug (McDaniel), so we didn't have our point guard. This time it was no Olivier (Nkamhoua). So what we do? No matter who touched that floor and put that jersey on, they rolling up their sleeves to compete.

"Today was a day of heart and toughness that was displayed."

One-man wrecking crew

Edey had the Wolverines — already shorthanded without Nkamhoua (out for the season, wrist surgery) and guard Jaelin Llewellyn (listed as "questionable" in the pregame availability report but out with "general knee soreness," per a team spokesman) — in foul trouble from the get-go.

Reed picked up his first foul less than a minute into the game and his second four minutes in, forcing him to the bench.

Michigan seemingly couldn't get a stop without him and needed his presence later in the half, but he picked up his third foul just over 2 minutes after returning. He sat the final six minutes, matching his minutes played in the first half.

Tschetter, who replaced Reed, picked up his fourth with 17:32 left to play and fouled out 9:54 later. Meanwhile, Burnett played just eight minutes before the break and didn't record a single stat (other than a turnover) as he picked up three quick fouls.

Undermanned and overmatched, Michigan got off to another one of its patented fast starts.

Reed hit his lone shot of the half, McDaniel drilled a 3-pointer off a screen, Williams nailed a layup despite a foul and McDaniel hit another 3. After Tschetter made a deep 2-pointer, Jackson added a dunk, Jace Howard made a jumper with his toe on the line and McDaniel made a slashing layup, despite a foul from Edey, before giving the big an extra stare.

The free throw made it 19-13 Michigan, as the Wolverines opened the game 8-for-10 from the floor.

Purdue, meanwhile, started slowly. The Boilers hit just five of 18 shots to start, two of which were slams by Edey, and made only one of seven 3-pointers. When McDaniel threw a no-look, left-handed, underhand outlet pass to Tschetter for a layup on a three-point play, U-M took a 22-15 lead.

But it unraveled quickly, as Purdue used an 8-0 run — an Edey turnaround, a Camden Heide layup, an Edey dunk and then a Lance Jones offensive rebound and putback — to take its first lead, before Jackson banked in a 3 to temporarily stem the tide.

The Wolverines took their final lead on a George Washington III 3-pointer from the right wing to go up 30-29 with 6:30 in the half. From there, Purdue closed with an 18-6 stretch.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball has no answer for Zach Edey and Purdue, lose 84-76