WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) Sasha Stefanovic scored a career-high 23 points on 7-of-10 3-point shooting to help propel Purdue to a 97-62 romp over Central Michigan on Saturday.
Stefanovic, a sophomore guard, hit 8 of 13 shots and delivered five assists.
Trevion Williams scored 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Boilermakers (8-5). Eric Hunter Jr. contributed 16 points and six assists. Matt Haarms and Isaiah Thompson each scored 11 for Purdue.
The inside tandem of Haarms (5 of 7 shots) and Williams (5 of 8) helped give Purdue a 42-28 edge in points in the paint.
David DiLeo score 12 points for the Chippewas (7-6). Rob Montgomery and Travon Broadway Jr. each had 10 points.
The Boilermakers shot 53% in the first half en route to a 51-21 halftime lead. Purdue sank 10 of 17 3-pointers in the opening half.
Purdue, which was shooting just under 42% entering the game, shot even better in the second half, finishing at 54%.
Central Michigan shot 38% overall.
The 7-foot-3 Haarms returned to action after missing the previous two games with a concussion. Haarms hit the floor hard with about six minutes left in a loss to Nebraska. Haarms didn’t start but came in with 16:40 left in the opening half. Haarms had an immediate impact, scoring seven points in the next four minutes, delighting the crowd.
Purdue led by as many as 40 at 84-44.
BIG PICTURE
Central Michigan: The Chippewas, who scored 134 points in romp over Mississippi Valley State, were averaging 87.5 points entering the game.
Purdue: The Boilermakers, playing their final nonconference game, got a lift from returning home after a 20-day stint between home games, the longest stint in Coach Matt Painter’s 15 seasons. Purdue with a season high in points, Purdue topped its previous high of 93.
UP NEXT
Central Michigan opens Mid-American Conference play at home against Miami (Ohio) on Saturday.
Purdue plays host to Minnesota on Thursday.
—–
For more AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25
25% Bonus via Western Union
