Purdue dominated Northwestern 80-60 Sunday, even without star Jaden Ivey.
Our post-game analysis and Wrap Video.
ON VETERAN PLAY
Give Isaiah Thompson and Eric Hunter some credit today, because they both came up big in the second half when Northwestern threatened Purdue a couple times.
All their 18 points came after halftime, all of Thompson's in the face of Northwestern's first run. Hunter's scoring came later, heading off Northwestern's chances to really make another big run. Hunter made plays with the shot clock dwindling, burning the Wildcats when they'd defended adequately.
Both those older players helped shepherd Purdue to a win, a game after the Boilermaker veterans mostly struggled in a fluky loss at Indiana.
This was the sort of situation that profiled as a trap-game sort of deal, an afternoon game coming off a tiring week, against a lackluster opponent, without your most energetic player.
This was the sort of moment where a team needs maturity, i.e. foundational play from its older, most experienced players. That's precisely what Purdue got today.
Sasha Stefanovic was the guy there.
Forget all the threes for a second. Shooting is fluid.
He was a tone-setter defensively against the Wildcats, as Trevion Williams on the defensive glass, a huge key to Purdue's success today.
Purdue's four oldest players came up huge today.
