Northwestern 96, Purdue 105| Game Wrap | Overtime Thriller

Purdue's Braden Smith might not have been named a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award this week, but his play against Northwestern might have him eyeing higher honors as he played like an All-American in Purdue's 105-96.

But it took overtime, again, as Purdue and Northwestern's second match up needed an extra session to settle itself. But unlike at Northwestern, the #2 Boilermakers came away with this one behind Smith's 16 assist performance, a 30 point Zach Edey game, and 26 clutch points from Lance Jones.

The game got out of hand, literally, with 1.7 to play with Chris Collins getting ejected to make the score look more lopsided than it was.

It was a first half of extremes as Northwestern's shot making took on Purdue's dominance on the glass.

Northwestern made 8 threes in the first half, including four from Ty Berry and three more from Boo Buie, on the its way to shooting 60% from the half.

Despite this, Purdue took a 47-39 lead into half on the back of Braden Smith's 9 first half assists and a 15-4 edge on the glass.

Smith got Purdue's shooters going early, finding Lance Jones for a three on its third possession and giving Purdue a 5-0 lead, but Ty Berry responded immediately with a three of its own.

Smith would then find Jones for a lay up just for Berry to knock down another three-pointer to keep the game at 9-6.

Smith continued to find Purdue shooters and bigs inside while Ty Berry continued to carry Northwestern's offense from the three-point line for the first eight minutes of action.

Then Boo Buie finally got free, clearing space from Lance Jones off the ball and knocking down a three from the left wing. The three was Buie's first basket and tied the ball game at 17. A Brooks Barnhizer lay up would follow and give Northwestern it's first lead of the half.

After tying the game with a lay up, Lance Jones would then pick up his second foul with more than ten minutes left in the half. Jones was the second Purdue guard to get to two fouls with Fletcher Loyer picking up his second earlier in the half.

Ethan Morton provided great minutes off the bench for Matt Painter, getting steals on back to back possessions, but Northwestern continued to shoot the ball away from Morton's defense.

But Purdue's starting guards would respond to a 7-0 Northwestern run with one of its own. Braden Smith would drive and finish with a floater off the glass, and Fletcher Loyer would respond playing with two fouls by making one of his own and tying the game at 25-25.

Smith would later find Loyer after driving and kicking out to an open Loyer on the wing for a three that would put Purdue up 33-25.

Buie would get hot late, knocking down a three, a floater, and another three to cut the lead to 40-36.

Smith would then finish the half at the line, sinking two free throws with 1.9 play.

Northwestern shooting 60% from the floor would trail Purdue at half 47-39 after Purdue out rebounded them 15-4. Both teams had 7 first half turnovers.

The first half might have been wild for extreme stats, the second half, it was just wild and a display that when Northwestern and Purdue gets together, it's never boring.

With the game tied at 73 and just over three to play, Boo Buie took a screen left and had the shot clock going down. Zach Edey contested and forced a tough step back three from the wing, but Buie continued to be Purdue's nightmare, draining the three and then finding Barnhizer for a lay up on the next possession for a 78-73 lead.

But Purdue found its own shot maker with Braden Smith firing across court to Lance Jones three. Smith would then get an open lane and a good look at a lay up the next possession just for the lay up to go long off the rim.

But the giant Zach Edey was there to throw down the dunk with two hands and the ball game was tied at 78.

Ty Berry would miss a finger roll from five feet away on Northwestern's next possession and Purdue would take the ball cross the half court and call a timeout with 1:09 to play.

Then Smith got his man in the air, waited, and found Zach Edey inside who had leverage and a lay up, drawing a foul but as Purdue did a lot in the second half, he'd miss the lay up.

Then at the other end, Ty Berry got free from Ethan Morton on a screen and looked to have an open three, but Smith reacted, contested, and knocked Berry to the ground.

Berry would get three free throws and would knock them all down to give Northwestern an 81-80 lead with just under 40 seconds to play.

Purdue would again get an offensive rebound off a Fletcher Loyer drive and miss. It was Zach Edey again, and Northwestern would foul Edey and he'd go to the line for two again. This time he'd make the first and miss the second.

The game would be tied, 81-81 with Northwestern taking the ball with a chance to win or go to overtime. Chris Collins would call a timeout with 6.2 to play after Purdue fouled with a foul to give.

But Boo Buie's floater would go just short and Purdue and Northwestern would head to overtime for the second time this season.

Overtime started with Edey hitting a difficult floater to give Purdue the lead back 83-81.

Blake Preston would finish a lob at the other end to tie the game again.

Edey would then finish an assist from Smith with a dunk and another chance to convert an And-1. He'd leave it short, missing his ninth free throw of the game.

But Barnhizer would miss the first of two free throws and Purdue would get a chance to extend an 85-84 lead.

Northwestern would foul Edey again who'd have two chances to convert this time. He'd get both and Purdue would hold an 87-84 lead with three to play in overtime.

But Morton would get caught on a screen and Ty Berry would knock down his sixth three of the game.

Purdue would spam Edey inside again and Edey would finish a dunk, and then do it again after a Langborg jumper ended just short.

Lance Jones would head to the bench pumping up the crowd as Purdue held a 91-87 lead with 2:11 to play with Northwestern calling another timeout.

Smith would then get a switch onto Northwestern's Preston and go to work, attacking the big man off the dribble and finishing at the rim for his first field goal of the second half.

But Purdue's two possession lead would shrink back to 93-90 after an And-1 by Barnhizer with a minute and a half to play.

But the drama wouldn't be done. The refs called an offensive foul on Gillis and Buie would go after Gillis at the other end at the rim. But Gillis kept perfect verticality and got the block.

Purdue would call another timeout with the ball, a three point lead, and 56.7 seconds to play.

Cue Braden Smith driving, hanging int he air, and finding a wide open Fletcher Loyer who dropped his third three of the game to give Purdue a 96-90 lead with 38.3 to play. It was Smith's 16th assist of the game.

Martinelli would make a lay as Purdue sold out on a Buie three on the next possession and Northwestern was forced to start putting Purdue to the line where it had made just 20 of its 36 attempts to that point.

Lance Jones would make both of the free throws to get the game to 98-92.

Barnhizer's lay up for Northwestern would get Northwestern within a possession, but more Lance Jones free throws would seal the game for Purdue and some last second hysterics from Chris Collins couldn't keep Northwestern from falling for the first time in three years to Purdue.

It was a showcase for some of the best talent in the Big Ten.

In a losing effort, Boo Buie was phenomonal, scoring 25 points, and he wasn't alone. Ty Berry also had 25 points as the two combined to make 15 threes.

For Purdue, it was Braden Smith having 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 16 assists. It's the second most all time at Purdue for assists. But it was Zach Edey that dominated overtime and went for 30 points and 15 rebounds.

But Purdue wouldn't have gotten to overtime if it wasn't for Lance Jones' shot making. Jones had 26 points and went 5 of 7 from three.

Mason Gillis had 14 points and Fletcher Loyer had 15 points for Purdue.