West Lafayette, IN (Sports Network) - E’Twaun Moore scored 22 points and JaJuan Johnson added 21 with nine rebounds and three blocks to help fourth- ranked Purdue defeat Wake Forest, 69-58, as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge from Mackey Arena.
No. 4 Purdue Holds Off Wake, 69-58
Robbie Hummel recorded a double-double with 11 points and as many boards for the Boilermakers, who are off to their first 6-0 start since the 2003-04 campaign. Purdue came away with the victory despite shooting just 34.4 percent from the floor and converting just 1-of-15 three-pointers. The club did produce 25 turnovers.
Ishmael Smith and C.J. Harris each finished with 14 points for the Demon Deacons (4-2), who were coming off a loss to William & Mary on Saturday. Al- Farouq Aminu totaled 12 points and 10 rebounds in defeat.
A layup by Harris put Wake Forest on top, 36-30, early in the second half, but a Moore bucket capped a 12-0 run and gave Purdue a 42-36 lead before the eight-minute mark.
Moore knocked down the lone trey by a Boilermaker and Johnson hit a jumper in the lane to make it 53-44 with about eight minutes remaining. Purdue extended its lead to 60-45 on an easy lay-in from Moore off a steal by Chris Kramer and coasted the rest of the way.
“We did a better job in our shot selection. We did a better job of manufacturing points (in the second half),” said Purdue head coach Matt Painter.
Wake Forest emerged from a back-and-forth first half with a slim 31-29 advantage at the break.
Purdue missed its first 13 three-point attempts...Kramer recorded four steals...L.D. Williams had 11 points for Wake Forest, which made 42.3 percent of its shots...Both clubs are idle until Saturday. The Boilermakers host Buffalo, while Wake Forest will play at Gonzaga.
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