WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Illinois State Redbirds trailed by just two with 8:55 to play in the game; however, a late push by host Purdue put the game out of reach in a 76-to-56 Boilermaker victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Redbird offense struggled out of the gate, as Purdue built a 7-0 lead through the first four minutes of the contest before ISU found the scoreboard on a Malik Messina-Moore jumper. The lead fluctuated between five and 11 points for the rest of the half, as the Boilermakers jumped ahead by 11 with 3:36 to play in the half. The Redbirds countered with a 7-2 run to close the gap to five before Purdue drained a three-pointer at the tail end of the first half to take an eight-point,…
