Purdue opens with 77-64 win over Liberty

by | Nov 26, 2020 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Purdue Postgame Notes 

  • Purdue opened the season with a 77-64 win over Liberty in the Space Coast Challenge … the Boilermakers have now won eight straight season openers and are now 15-1 under Matt Painter in season openers.
  • Purdue improved to 9-2 all-time against current members of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
  • Purdue improved to 20-5 in regular-season tournament since the 2014 Maui Invitational … Purdue is looking for its first tournament title since the 2016 Cancun Challenge.
  • Purdue improved to 25-1 all-time under Matt Painter against teams with zero victories, having won 15 straight games against winless teams.
  • Head coach Matt Painter won his 338thgame in the Big Ten, moving past Thad Matta for eighth on the Big Ten’s all-time wins list (Matta has 337).
  • Purdue’s 58.5 (31-of-53) field goal percentage was the second highest in a season opener under Matt Painter (.590 vs. SIU Edwardsville; Nov. 10, 2017).
  • Purdue shot 50.0 (9-of-18) from long distance in a season opener for the second time under Painter (.500 vs. Northern Illinois; Nov. 11, 2011).
  • Purdue’s freshmen scored 44 of Purdue’s 77 points in the win over Liberty (Edey – 19; Ivey – 12; Newman – 10; Gillis – 3) … the 44 points are the most scored by a freshman class in a game since the freshman class scored 46 against Western Illinois on March 20, 2013.
  • Zach Edey scored 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting with five rebounds in just 15 minutes of action … a year ago, there were four games nationally where a player had at least 19 points and five rebounds in 15 minutes or less.