Zach Edey, No. 2 Purdue Praised by CBB Fans After Statement Win vs. No. 4 Marquette

Zach Edey posted a 28-point, 14-rebound effort en route to leading the No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team to a 78-75 win over the No. 4 Marquette Golden Eagles in the Allstate Maui Invitational Championship on Wednesday.

Edey's tip-in layup off a Braden Smith missed three-pointer with 23 seconds left proved to be the final points.

A heart-pounding finish then took place, as Marquette missed game-tying three-point attempts both before and after Purdue missed the front end of a 1-and-1 on two occasions.

Edey rebounded a Mason Gillis 1-and-1 the first time around before missing his own free throw, leading to Marquette's final possession. Purdue chose not to foul, but Kam Jones' three was off the mark.

Purdue took a 45-33 halftime lead after Lance Jones nailed a buzzer-beater from the opposing free throw line over 70 feet away.

Marquette then launched a furious second-half comeback behind Kolek, who finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists. An Oso Ighodaro jumper with just under a minute left cut the Purdue lead to 76-75.

However, Edey hit a big bucket down the stretch, and Purdue survived.

Edey was sensational throughout the entire tournament en route to earning the Maui Invitational MVP, and he is in line for back-to-back player of the year honors, as analyst Jeff Goodman noted.

Fans and analysts alike were particularly impressed with Edey and the Boilermakers after a big statement win.

Both teams play at home next on Tuesday.

Edey and the 6-0 Boilermakers will host Texas Southern, and the 5-1 Golden Eagles will play Southern.