Field Level Media
Nov 10, 2018
Guard Carsen Edwards had 23 points, and 7-foot-3 center Matt Haarms had a career-high 16 points as the host No. 24 Purdue Boilermakers pulled away from cross-state rival Ball State for an 84-75 victory on Saturday night in West Lafayette, Ind.
Dartmouth graduate transfer Evan Boudreaux had 14 points and seven rebounds, and Nojel Eastern had a career-high 12 points and nine rebounds for the Boilermakers, who lost four starters from last season's NCAA tournament team that went 30-7.
Tayler Persons scored 19 points with eight rebounds, and Missouri transfer K.J. Walton had 13 points for the Cardinals, who have lost the last eight in the series between the schools that are 113 interstate miles apart. Purdue is 8-0 at home in the series.
The Boilermakers, who led by one at halftime, opened the second half on a 27-11 run that included a 13-0 spurt to take a 69-52 lead. Eastern had nine points, Edwards had seven and Boudreaux had six in the streak. Ball State was never closer than the final margin.
Edwards, who had 30 points and a career-high seven 3-pointers in the season-opening victory over Fairfield, had five assists and five rebounds. He was 2-of-10 from 3-point range.
The Boilermakers shot only 43.5 percent from the field, but had a 40-29 rebounding edge and forced 18 turnovers while committing 11.
Persons made 3 of 5 3-point attempts, but he did not score in the second half, missing all five field-goal attempts. He had eight points, including a 3-pointer, when the Cardinals went on a 12-4 run to take an early 12-8 lead, Ball State's biggest of the game.
--Field Level Media