No. 3 Purdue beats No. 13 Illini for share of Big Ten lead
Feb 8, 2022, 6:23 AM | Updated: Feb 9, 2022, 5:12 pm
Purdue guard Eric Hunter Jr. (2) drives to the basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in West Lafayette, Ind. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
(AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Jaden Ivey and Eric Hunter Jr. provided the second-half muscle for No. 3 Purdue on Tuesday night.
They didn’t even need much help from their big guys.
Hunter scored all nine of his points during a game-changing run to start the second half and Ivey scored 26 points, 22 coming after he got angry, to help the Boilermakers run away from No. 13 Illinois 84-68.
“Usually when I don’t get a call, or an obvious call, I usually get mad and take it out in the game,” Ivey said. “That’s all I can do. Eric just says keep playing and that’s what I did.”
Ivey was terrific on what turned into family night. He went 10 of 17 from the field, had six assists and four rebounds in front of his mother, Niele, the Notre Dame women’s basketball coach. Purdue (21-3, 10-3 Big Ten) won its sixth straight to move into a share of the conference lead.
The only blemish: Ivey came up one point short of matching his career high.
Turns out, it didn’t matter.
“One thing Matt’s done of late is to quit screwing around, get the ball to Ivey and get everyone out of the way,” Fighting Illini coach Brad Underwood said, referring to Purdue coach Matt Painter. “Anyone who doesn’t know what a pro looks like, that’s what they look like.”
Illinois (17-6, 10-3) was led by Kofi Cockburn, who had 18 points and seven rebounds. Andre Curbelo added 15 points as the Fighting Illini had a four-game winning streak snapped.
The hype for this game began almost as soon as the final buzzer sounded in Purdue’s double overtime victory last month and took on even more urgency when conference officials moved the game up two days from the initial schedule for a clash between conference contenders.
The rematch didn’t disappoint.
A boisterous, early-arriving crowd kept the decibel level high all night — especially as the Boilermakers started pulling away midway through the second half. But it also energized Purdue, which had a slow start and endured a series of back-and-forth moments.
But after Curbelo drove the length of the floor for a buzzer-beating layup to give Illinois a 38-36 halftime lead, Hunter opened the second half with nine points during a 16-8 spurt that put Purdue up 52-46 and whipped the crowd into a frenzy. The Boilermakers never trailed again and sealed the victory with a 14-2 run.
“He just let it come to him tonight,” Painter said, referring to Ivey. “He made great decisions and a couple of those pull-ups are shots he hasn’t even really taken this year. He’s come a long way since the start of the season.”
BIG PICTURE
Illinois: Tuesday’s loss is not debilitating. The Illini are tied with Purdue and No. 14 Wisconsin atop the Big Ten. But it certainly makes the championship journey more challenging, especially after getting swept by the Boilermakers. Expect Illinois to rebound quickly and in impressive fashion.
Purdue: The Boilermakers have been the Big Ten’s highest-ranked team most of this season. Now, after starting 1-2 in conference play, they finally have a share of the league lead. Purdue has gone 98-11 in its last 109 home games and this time did it with the kind of balanced attack it will need to make a deep NCAA Tournament run.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
With No. 1 Auburn losing Tuesday night and the Boilermakers with two more chances to impress voters this week, against Michigan and Maryland, Purdue could be in position to claim the top spot for the second time this season — and the second time in school history. The loss shouldn’t hurt Illinois too much.
SCARY MOMENT
Illini guard Trent Frazier had the biggest scare of the night when he fell to the floor clutching his left knee with 8:15 to play. Replays appeared to show his knee and Ivey’s knee collided. Frazier needed help to reach the bench, though he returned a short time later and finished the game.
“He wanted in so we let him back in,” Underwood said. “I don’t know the extent of everything yet but it was great to see him get back in.”
UP NEXT
Illinois: Hosts in-state rival Northwestern on Sunday.
Purdue: Travels to Michigan on Thursday for a rescheduled game.
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