Zach Edey had 14 points and eight rebounds and Mason Gillis contributed 11 points and seven boards as No. 5 Purdue defeated Northwestern 70-64 on Wednesday in Evanston, Ill.
Purdue, which led by as many as 15 points in the second half, has won two straight and eight of nine to take sole possession of first place in the Big Ten by a half-game over idle Wisconsin.
Purdue (23-4, 12-4 Big Ten) earned its 11th straight victory against Northwestern (12-12, 5-10). The Boilermakers routed the Wildcats 80-60 on Jan. 23 in West Lafayette, Ind.
The Boilermakers shot 45.3 percent while going 8-for-21 from long range.
Robbie Beran sparked Northwestern with 13 points, while Pete Nance (12) and Boo Buie (11) followed in double figures. The Wildcats struggled to 35 percent shooting — including an 8-for-28 effort from deep — while getting outrebounded 39-34.
Northwestern has lost two straight following a three-game winning streak. Since edging then-No. 10 Michigan State on the road on Jan. 15, the Wildcats have lost five straight games against ranked foes, including a pair of contests to both Purdue and Illinois.
A 1-for-9 funk bridging halftime helped sink the Wildcats. Purdue went on a 10-3 run in the first 2:47 of the second half to surge ahead by 11 and begin creating distance before Northwestern made a late run.
Eric Hunter Jr. scored 11 points for the Boilermakers, and Trevion Williams amassed six rebounds and five assists. Jaden Ivey shot 2 of 12 for eight points, marking the first conference game this season in which he did not finish in double figures.
Beran led Northwestern with six rebounds. Ryan Greer added four assists.
The Boilermakers led 32-28 at halftime behind a hot start from Edey, who had 12 points and six assists in the first 20 minutes. Purdue opened just 2-for-9 from long range while committing eight first-half turnovers.
Purdue boasts a 134-47 edge over Northwestern in the all-time series. The Boilermakers have prevailed in five straight meetings in Evanston.
–Field Level Media
