WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Zach Edey had a double-double in the first half and finished with 23 points and 18 rebounds to help No. 4 Purdue rout Hofstra 85-66 Wednesday night.
The 7-foot-4 center has now scored 20 or more points in eight straight games, the longest streak during coach Matt Painter's 18-year tenure. Purdue is 9-0 for the second straight season, a back-to-back feat it last achieved in 1992-93, Painter's senior year, and 1993-94.
This is the first time the Boilermakers have won their first nine since 2015-16.
Hofstra's challenge was impeded by the absence of leading scorer Aaron Estrada, who missed the game with an injured ankle. Redshirt freshman Amar'e Marshall responded by scoring a season-high 24 points, including half of Hofstra's 34 first-half points.
Without Estrada, the Pride (6-4) had no chance.
Coach Speedy Claxton called timeout after Purdue scored the first nine points. The Boilermakers then used the combination of Edey's inside dominance and a flurry of 3-pointers, to make it 20-2 less than six minutes into the game.
Marshall's surprise scoring binge helped Hofstra stay within 12 — until Purdue ended the first half on an 11-3 spurt to take a 54-34 lead. The Boilermakers closed it out with a 10-2 run early in the second half.
BIG PICTURE
Hofstra: Claxton's team has shown promise this season and it would have at least been interesting to see how it would have fared with Estrada (21.7 points). Instead, the Pride was overmatched against a far superior team.
Purdue: The Boilermakers proved their mettle during a 10-day stretch by sweeping West Virginia, Gonzaga and Duke on neutral courts, winning at Florida State and beating Minnesota at home. Purdue didn't have to do anything so impressive Wednesday but showed no letdown.
GIGANTIC MISMATCH
Edey is a matchup problem for pretty much anybody. But when an opponent has nobody taller than 6-10, Edey is nearly impossible to guard — as Hofstra found out. The Canadian was 9 of 15 from the field just three days after he established new career highs with 31 points and 22 rebounds in a victory over the Golden Gophers.
STAT PACK
Hofstra: The Pride had a two-game winning streak snapped. ... Hofstra is 0-2 all-time against Purdue. ... Dstone Dubar had 14 points while Tyler Thomas had 10 points and five rebounds. ... Jaquan Carlos had six assists. ... Marshall also had four rebounds and four assists.
Purdue: Braden Smith finished with 13 points and made three 3s. ... Caleb Furst had 12 points and six rebounds. ... Fletcher Loyer finished with 12 points and four assists. ... The Boilermakers extended the nation's longest active streak of consecutive non-conference wins to 21 and have now won 18 straight non-conference games at home.
UP NEXT
Hofstra: Returns home to face UMass on Sunday.
Purdue: Visits Nebraska on Saturday — its first Big Ten road trip.