No. 15 Purdue secured a narrow 70-66 victory over Northwestern in a tightly contested Big Ten matchup on Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois.
Key Takeaways
No. 15 Purdue narrowly defeated Northwestern 70-66 in a closely contested Big Ten game on Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
- C.J. Cox scored 27 points for Purdue, including a crucial three-pointer with 48 seconds left to seal the victory.
- Nick Martinelli led Northwestern with 28 points but fell short in his final home game.
- The Boilermakers rallied from a 34-25 halftime deficit, shooting 62.5% in the second half compared to Northwestern's 45.8%.
- Purdue will host Wisconsin on Saturday, while Northwestern travels to Minnesota.
The Boilermakers (23-7, 13-6 Big Ten) snapped a two-game losing streak thanks to a standout performance from C.J. Cox, who scored 27 points, including a crucial three-pointer with 48 seconds remaining. This shot proved decisive in Purdue's hard-fought win.
Northwestern (13-17, 5-14 Big Ten) was led by senior guard Nick Martinelli, who scored 28 points, including 19 in the second half. However, his efforts were not enough to secure a victory in what was his final home game. Martinelli moved into seventh place on Northwestern's career scoring list with 1,687 points, passing former player Bryant McIntosh.
The Wildcats controlled the first half, leading by as many as 11 points before settling for a 34-25 halftime lead. However, Purdue rallied in the second half, shooting 62.5% from the field compared to Northwestern's 45.8%. Key contributions came from Trey Kaufman-Renn, who added 11 points and 10 rebounds, despite shaking off a shoulder injury, and Fletcher Loyer, who finished with 10 points.
The Boilermakers' defense tightened in the second half, forcing crucial turnovers and capitalizing on key plays. Braden Smith was fouled on a three-point attempt late in the game, making all three free throws to give Purdue a 65-63 lead. After Northwestern briefly regained the lead with a contested three-pointer by Jordan Clayton, Cox responded with his go-ahead shot.
The victory is a significant boost for Purdue as they prepare to host Wisconsin on Saturday. The Badgers (21-9, 13-6 Big Ten) have gone 3-2 in one-possession games and are led by Nolan Winter, averaging 13.3 points and 8.6 rebounds. Purdue averages 19.7 assists per game to lead the Big Ten, paced by Braden Smith with 8.7 assists. Meanwhile, Northwestern will look to bounce back when they visit Minnesota on Saturday night.
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