In West Lafayette, Indiana, the No. 20 Purdue Boilermakers delivered an impressive performance on Sunday, defeating the Northwestern Wildcats by a score of 79-61. Braden Smith showcased his skills with a standout game, contributing 22 points and seven assists to propel his team forward. Smith’s scoring spree included 17 points in the first half alone, as he successfully made 8 of his 16 attempts. Alongside Smith, teammates Trey Kaufman-Renn and C.J. Cox each added 12 points to the winning effort for Purdue, which now boasts a record of 11 wins and 4 losses, including 3 wins against 1 loss in the Big Ten Conference.
For Northwestern, Angelo Ciaravino emerged as the top performer, scoring 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Others rounding out the scoring included Brooks Barnhizer and Jalen Leach, who each netted 11 points. Barnhizer, known for an impressive average of 20.1 points prior to this matchup, faced challenges with his shooting, managing only 4 out of 15 shots.
Purdue maintained control throughout the game, building a lead as large as 29 points at 63-34 with just over 11 minutes remaining in the final period. The Boilermakers set the tone early, scoring the first seven points and never falling behind during the contest. Their shooting was highly efficient, as they finished the first half with an impressive 59% from the floor while limiting Northwestern to a mere 25%.
Key highlights from the game included Ciaravino’s unexpected performance, greatly surpassing his average of 3.3 points per game leading up to this match. Despite his struggles, Nick Martinelli managed to contribute 10 points, but was also off his game shooting, making just 2 of 8 attempts.
Purdue’s home court dominance continues, marking their 25th consecutive victory at home. The team also shifted momentum positively, now riding a three-game winning streak after a previous rough patch of losing three out of four games.
A significant moment occurred when Myles Colvin made a crucial three-pointer, extending Purdue’s lead to 25-14 and energizing the home crowd. Having struggled with shooting previously, with a disappointing 1 of 16 from beyond the arc in the last five matches, Colvin added another three-pointer in the second half to finish with a total of seven points.
On the defensive side, Purdue was effective in limiting Northwestern’s scoring opportunities, holding the Wildcats to a shooting percentage of 38%, including a mere 28% from three-point territory. In contrast, the Boilermakers exhibited solid offense, shooting 51% overall and 40% from beyond the arc.
Looking ahead, Northwestern is set to host Michigan State on January 12, while Purdue will face Rutgers in their upcoming clash on Thursday.
