Purdue star Zach Edey was a man among boys during the first half of the national championship game. The big man’s dominant play early was also a trending topic on social media.
Edey poured in 16 points, five rebounds and two blocks over the first 20 minutes of action at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. His first half included an epic spurt wherein he scored 11 straight points for Purdue.
The big man impressed fans enough to draw several comparisons to LSU legend Shaquille O’Neal.
Edey’s outstanding first-half performance was hardly surprising. The Purdue center’s 24.9 points per game mark was the best in the country this season. He was also one of just three players to average at least 12 rebounds per game.
But Edey’s center adversary Donovan Clingan did bounce back later in the first half. The UConn 7-footer is one of the few big men in college basketball who could conceivably match up properly with Purdue’s 7-foot-4 behemoth. Clingan tallied seven points, two rebounds and a block.
Clingan’s defense and some timely shot-making from fellow UConn star Tristan Newton helped the Huskies claim a 36-30 lead at the half.
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