Edey helps rally No. 3 Purdue to 77-71 win at No. 12 Illinois to clinch outright Big Ten title
Zach Edey had 28 points and eight rebounds as No. 3 Purdue rallied in the second half to beat No. 12 Illinois 77-71, becoming the first team in 17 years to win consecutive outright Big Ten regular-season championships
By STEVE STEIN
Published - Mar 05, 2024, 09:53 PM ET
Last Updated - Mar 05, 2024, 09:53 PM EST
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Zach Edey had 28 points and eight rebounds as No. 3 Purdue rallied in the second half to beat No. 12 Illinois 77-71 on Tuesday night, becoming the first team in 17 years to win consecutive outright Big Ten regular-season championships.
Fletcher Loyer added 16 points for the Boilermakers (27-3, 16-3), who had already clinched at least a share of their second straight conference title with Saturday night's victory over Michigan State.
The previous Big Ten team to win back-to-back outright regular-season crowns was Ohio State in 2006 and 2007.
Braden Smith had 13 points and six assists for Purdue, which improved to 7-0 against ranked opponents this season. Mason Gillis scored 10 off the bench.
