No. 23 Purdue braces for Davidson
CHARLESTON, S.C.-- After defeating Appalachian State 92-70 on Thursday, No. 23 Purdue will face Davidson on Friday in the semifinals round of the Charleston Classic. The Boilermakers improved to 3-0 with a decisive victory against the Mountaineers, building s 46-32 halftime lead and leading by as many as 26. Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year Carsen Edwards scored 25 points on 9-for-16 shooting, and senior Ryan Cline added 21, shooting 4-for-8 from 3-point range. Purdue jumped out to a 7-0 lead early and never looked back, limiting Appalachian State guards Ronshad Shabazz and Justin Forrest to a combined 23 points on 6-for-17 shooting, including 2-for-9 from 3-point range. "We just followed the scouting report and did things our coach told us to do," Edwards said. "We tried to contain the dribble and tried to keep them out of the paint. They're good players so they made tough shots, but once they shoot the ball, just try to be ready for long rebounds and try to get in transition." The Boilermakers scored 14 fastbreak points and got 23 points from their reserves, with newcomers Aaron Wheeler and Evan Boudreaux combing for 10 points and 13 rebounds. After the game, Purdue coach Matt Painter discussed his team's ability to score in transition. "It's a hard thing because we shoot a lot of 3s," Painter said postgame. "Sometimes when you miss some of those 3s, you feel like they're ill-advised, but we have a couple guys that made tough 3s. As a coach, you keep trying to work toward the efficiency side of things, and you want to get cleaner looks. But as long as those guys are in rhythm, that's what we're trying to get. We're trying to get some good looks off of ball screens, some good looks when the defense gets set, and if not then we try to run offense." Davidson defeated Wichita State 57-53 on Thursday behind 33 points from Jon Axel Gudmundsson. The junior guard from Grindavik, Iceland, also added eight rebounds and three assists -- both team highs. Neither team shot particularly well as the Wildcats held Wichita State to 30.8 percent from the field while they shot 36.5 percent. Davidson trailed by as many as 10 points, but a 3-pointer from KiShawn Pritchett with 15:07 remaining sparked an 11-0 run. The Wildcats outscored the Shockers 30-21 in the second half after trailing 32-27 at halftime. "They're young, but they're a joy to coach," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said of his team. "They've got a lot to learn, but they're an absolute joy to coach." McKillop is no stranger to the city of the Charleston. The Wildcats had frequent battles with The Citadel and College of Charleston as members of the Southern Conference before joining the Atlantic 10 in 2014. "I love the city of Charleston," McKillop said. "The fans are outstanding, the city is one of the most magnificent cities in the country, and the fans are so welcoming ... (But) we're going to have to bring some toughness tomorrow night." Friday's game will be the second meeting between the Boilermakers and the Wildcats. Purdue defeated Davidson 76-58 on Dec. 20, 2008, holding future NBA MVP Steph Curry to 5-for-26 shooting. |