No. 2 Purdue locks down No. 11 Gonzaga in Maui Invitational

In an effort that was more heart than art, second- ranked Purdue held off No. 11 Gonzaga 73-63 in the opening round of the Allstate Maui Invitational at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center on Monday.

The Boilermakers struggled with their outside aim (4-for-17 on 3s), restraint (19 fouls) and first-half consistency.

But 7-foot-4 All-America center Zach Edey, guards Braden Smith and Lance Jones, and reserve Myles Colvin provided a second- half spark as the Boilermakers won their fourth in a row to open the season.

“I wouldn’t say it was the ultimate grinder, but it was one of those games,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said.

In taking a 35-30 halftime lead, Gonzaga was able to find success on shots launched from behind the arc and set up entry barriers on passes to Edey with layered coverage by 6-9 Graham Ike and 6-10 Ben Gregg.

“The way they were knocking down those long shots, it looked like it was going to be a long night for us,” Painter said.

But after the intermission, Jones hit the “lock” switch on guard Ryan Nembhard. Jones said Nembhard was getting to “his spots, to his pullups” in the first half. “I wanted to lock in, and be more physical with him in the second half.”

Jones was able to navigate past screens to cut off Nembhard’s drives and blur his 3-point vision. Nembhard missed eight of his 10 second-half shots, including all five from behind the arc. The Bulldogs were 0-for-13 on 3s after the intermission.

“I think if you look at the 3s we took, they were all great shots,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “I think that’s how you measure in 3s. … A bigger factor is we turned the ball over too much in the second half.”

Gonzaga committed nine of their 14 turnovers in the second half.

Smith, Purdue’s 6-foot point guard, was able to push the tempo, then reset it. When a defender claimed the shoulder spot, Painter said, “you’ve got to be able to retreat dribble and get the ball out of your hands and get (the Bulldogs) in (defensive) rotations. Let them do the work.”

As a facilitator, Smith was able to pass to a wing, who then fed the post. “Get those hockey assists,” Painter said. Smith was 6-for-8 for 13 points. He also had six assists and five steals.

Edey found points on hooks, layups, short bankers and free throws. The center, who drew seven fouls but did not commit any, hit nine of 10 free throws. Two years ago, Edey hit 64.9% of his free throws. This year, he has made 33 of 40 (82.5%). In contrast to past years, Painter said it now is “an advantage” when Edey is fouled.

“He’s worked really hard on his free throws,” Painter said. “He’s worked really hard on his game.”

The Boilermakers also were able to not miss a beat when Edey was given a break. Purdue led 48-45 when Edey exited with 11:13 to play and were ahead 56-51 when he returned 3 minutes, 43 seconds later.

Edey finished with three blocks and 14 of Purdue’s 38 rebounds, including five off the offensive glass.

It was 61-55 when Edey hit two free throws and Colvin buried consecutive 3s from the left corner. Colvin “didn’t realize they were big shots, but they were,” Painter said.

No. 7 Tennessee 73, Syracuse 56

As the clock ticked down to the final horn, the seventh-ranked Volunteers passed the ball around the perimeter in basketball’s version of the victory formation. But with eight seconds left, Jonas Aidoo caught an alley-oop from Zakai Zeigler and threw down a ferocious dunk to emphatically end Tennessee’s opening-round victory.

It was a fitting finish for the 6-foot-11 Aidoo, who scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half, neutralized the Orange’s Naheem McLeod (one point), and provided leadership when star guard Dalton Knecht needed treatment for a leg issue.

The Volunteers also received a boost from 6-7 guard Josiah-Jordan James, who helped hold the Orange to 1-for-9 on 3-point shots in the second half. With James able to defend one through five, the Volunteers were able to play an aggressive and quick five-guard lineup for key stretches.

Knecht, who re-entered late in the second half, finished with a game-high 17 points.

Syracuse guard Judah Mintz, who entered averaging 23.0 points, scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half.