Purdue 76 – Illinois 71: Another Tale of Two Halves

Stats

Zach Edey: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block

Brandon Newman: 19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists

Braden Smith: 15 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists

Matthew Mayer: 16 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist

In another game of polar opposites, Purdue played lights out in the first half against Illinois, racing out to a 21 point lead at halftime. Then Purdue let Illinois battle all the way back in the second to tie the game. Purdue would get the last laugh, outscoring Illinois 9-4 in the last 77 seconds, winning 76-71.

First Half

Could this have been a better half for Purdue? The crowd was electric, and Purdue got going in a hurry. Back-to-back steals by Brandon Newman led to layups for Purdue and Braden…