(Updated: Minor edits.)
Purdue 83, EasternIllinois 55: Bryson Scott’s season-high 14 points and six rebounds led abalanced attack as the unbeaten Boilermakers turned back the visitingPanthers.
Kendall Stephens had 11 second-half points and Purdue (4-0) got42 points from its bench. Ronnie Johnson added 10 points and a season-higheight assists, Basil Smotherman had 10 points and five rebounds and Terone Johnson and A.J. Hammonds tallied nine points apiece.
Reggie Smith’s 11 points led Eastern Illinois (2-2), whichshot 31.6 percent from the floor and committed 19 turnovers. Sherman Blanfordchipped in nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Purdue came out firing and jumped to a 16-5 lead as EasternIllinois struggled to find the basket, shooting only 28.6 percent from thefloor in the first half, including 1-for-10 on 3-pointers. Ronnie Johnson had10 points and Jay Simpson added eight points in the half for the Boilermakers,who hit 8-for-13 from the foul line but missed on all nine of their 3-pointattempts.
The Boilermakers stretched a 38-24 halftime lead to 47-29with a 9-5 run, capped by Purdue’s first 3-pointers of the night from Stephensand Rapheal Davis. The Panthers pulled within 50-38 with 13:31 remaining, butthe Boilermakers put the game out of reach by scoring 18 of the next 21 points – sparkedby eight straight free throws and back-to-back 3-pointers by Stephens â?? for a68-41 lead.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Smothermanbecame the 10th player for Purdue to score 10 or more points in a game this season. … The Boilermakers have scored 75 or more points in six straightgames – dating to last season – for the first time since 1998. … Purdue improved to 29-1 at home inthe month of November under head coach Matt Painter.
