Source: Justin Casterline / Getty
[West Lafayette, IN]- Forty minutes was not enough basketball for second ranked Purdue and Northwestern.
The Boilermakers survived the extra five minutes 105-96, bouncing back to the previous game at Northwestern. Purdue hit late free throws near the end of regulation to extend the game. At the end of regulation, Purdue and Northwestern were tied at 81-81.
Purdue sealed the win after two technical foul free throws. Gillis knocked both shots down.
If an excitement of extra basketball was not enough for fans inside Mackey Arena, a technical foul and ejection of the opposing teams coach surely was. Northwestern Coach Chris Collins was tossed in the waning seconds of overtime after Buie missed a three that would’ve cut Purdue’s lead down to two.
Zach Edey led both teams in scoring with 30, giving him 73 games in a row in double figures. Edey also added 15 rebounds, giving him a double-double on the night. Braden Smith also had a double-double with 11 points and 16 assists.
As a team, Purdue went 33-57 from the field (57.9%), 10-21 from the three (47.6%), and converted 63% of their free throws (29-46). A hallmark of Purdue is rebounding, which they got back to with 36 rebounds to Northwestern’s 22. Both teams had 23 assists tonight. Inside the paint play was again an advantage for Purdue, who notched 46 points there.
One of the ugliest stats for Purdue was the turnovers. While the Boilermakers had less than their previous game at Rutgers, they still lost the turnover battle with 10. Northwestern had 8.
On the defensive side, Buie provided a tough matchup for Purdue. He converted nine of his nineteen shots from the field, went seven of eleven from the three and totaled 25 points in the loss.
This win over the Wildcats makes Purdue 28-14 against Northwestern since 1999. The Boilermakers also snapped a two-game losing streak to the Wildcats, dating back to the 2021-2022 season. Both losses came away from West Lafayette.
Purdue now sits at 20-2 overall, with a 9-2 record in the Big Ten. They are currently tied with sixth ranked Wisconsin for the top seed in the Big Ten.
The Boilermakers will travel to Madison Sunday for a date with the Badgers. Tip-off is slated for 1:00 PM Eastern.
Purdue is 20-21 since 1999 against the Badgers and 6-14 on the road. Their last win in Madison was in March 2023, where Purdue won 63-61. With eight games remaining in the regular season, Sunday’s game could be a deciding factor for the top spot in the Big Ten.
