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WEST LAFAYETTE – Braden Smith had a second half to forget, but a night to remember.
Purdue Basketball The sophomore point guard totaled 16 assists, the second-most in a single game in program history, and the No. 2 Boilermakers (20-2) survived against Northwestern 105-96 in overtime. at Mackey Arena.
Northwestern was hot from beyond the arc, going 8 of 13 in the first half. At one point, the strong start propelled the Wildcats to a 25-21 lead.
Purdue responded with a 17-2 run, scoring six straight field goals in the process.
The Boilermakers led 47-39 at halftime, but would see that lead quickly evaporate, in part due to issues with free throws, where Purdue was 29 of 46.
Northwestern and Purdue fought back for most of the second half.
Boo Buie had a chance to win in regulation for Northwestern, driving left and missing a runner at the front of the rim.
Purdue avenged an overtime loss at Northwestern earlier this season.
It’s over when
Smith’s final assist found Fletcher Loyer beyond the 3-point line. Loyer scored with 38.3 seconds left in overtime, his only points since he scored 12 in the first half. That gave the Boilermakers a 96-90 lead.
Northwestern continued to hit back, but missed a late shot that sent Wildcats coach Chris Collins storming the court in a heated exchange with the officials.
Mason Gillis hit four technical foul shots to ice Purdue’s sixth straight victory.
Further:Purdue women’s basketball freshmen gain valuable experience in close loss to Ohio State
Zach Edey Clock
Northwestern’s help defense has proven to give Zach Edey fits.
But in early December, the 7-foot-4 Purdue center scored 35 points in an overtime loss at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
This time, Edey struggled in the first half to get his offense going and was woeful from the free throw line. But Edey went 2-for-2 with 3:11 left in overtime, finishing 8-for-17 from the line.
Edey had back-to-back possessions where he was free for a dunk in overtime that propelled Purdue ahead. Edey finished with 30 points and 15 rebounds and played an impressive 41:30.
Further:Purdue basketball has its X-factor championship and his name is Lance Jones
4 stars
Lance Jones, Purdue: Jones had perhaps his worst game as a Boilermaker at Northwestern. Jones scored 12 points in the first half of this round, helping Purdue have a cushion at halftime. He had hit two big 3-pointers on consecutive possessions late in the second half, one tied the game at 66 and the next put Purdue ahead 69-68. Jones finished with 26 points.
Braden Smith, Purdue: Smith had an almost forgettable second half. In the first half, the second-year guard had eight points and nine assists. The Boilermakers needed it all. In overtime, Smith controlled the game. Four of his 16 assists came in overtime and he scored a layup to put Purdue ahead by six with 1:44 left, finishing with 11 points and just two turnovers.
Ty Berry, Northwest: Berry was the catalyst for Northwestern’s hot streak. The senior guard made 4 of 5 three-pointers in the first half and finished 6 of 9 and scored 25 points.
Boo Buie, Northwest: Buie has been a killer for Purdue the last two seasons. The super senior did it again at Mackey Arena. Buie scored 25 points and made 7 of 11 three-pointers.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.
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