Purdue 75, Wisconsin 69| Game Wrap | Big Ten Powers Collide

Tyler Wahl and a furious final thirty seconds tried to keep the Badgers in it, but #2 Purdue went into Madison and took down the #6 Wisconsin Badgers, 75-69, to move to 21-2 on the season and take over the Big Ten conference standings for the first time this season.

After a close first half, Lance Jones sparked Purdue early in the second half. Jones got a floater to go despite hanging in the air and getting fouled. As he fell to the ground, the ball hung on the front of the rim and then fell in. The free throw gave Purdue a 39-34 lead.

Fletcher Loyer then forced a tough three in transition and Purdue got up court where the ball found Lance Jones in the right corner for a three-pointer that moved Purdue's lead to six, 42-36.

Loyer's pass to Zach Edey for an alley-oop dunk five minutes into the game gave Purdue a 48-38, but Wisconsin chipped away at Purdue's lead.

Late in the game, with Wisconsin struggling to knock down threes and unable to get looks in the mid-range, it went to Tyler Wahl who got the best of Zach Edey once, and then again, showing off his collection of moves and foot work.

Wahl also collected his own misses, taking a deep three, bouncing it off glass and catching the ricochet in the paint where he finished a contested lay up to get the Badgers to down just two, 59-57.

Any separation Purdue could create, the Badgers cut into. With three and a half to play, Edey put Purdue up 63-57 with a hook shot, but he could only connect on one of two from the line and Wahl would get another lay up. Wahl would respond to a Fletcher Loyer pull up with two free throws and the game would stay 66-61 when Braden Smith would lose the ball to Chucky Hepburn around mid court.

But a long three would miss, and even though Tyler Wahl was there again, back to back steals by Lance Jones and Braden Smith would seal the game for Purdue.

What was supposed to be match up against two of the best offenses in the country, ground to a bit of halt as both offenses weren't firing on all cylinders in the first half.

#2 Purdue took a 34-32 lead into the locker room on the road at #6 Wisconsin, but got off to a slow start.

The Badgers looked a little more energized to start the game and its first basket came on a Tyler Wahl rebound around Zach Edey that he'd put in to break the 0-0 start. Max Klesmit would then get a fast break lay up off a miss to start off his excellent first half where he didn't miss a shot while leading the game with 11 points.

But Fletcher Loyer had his floater going all half and responded for Purdue.

Speaking of things working in the first half, Braden Smith tied Klesmit's 11 points by knocking four mid-range jumpers and finishing a lay up through contact as part of a Purdue run that gave Purdue a 26-20.

Purdue looked like it might be stretching that lead when Zach Edey got a hook shot to go with just under five in the first half, but Edey struggled from the floor. His patented hook wasn't falling with either hand as he went just 1 of 4 in the first half.

Wisconsin's offense responded late with a mini 6-2 run at the end of the half which included a Connor Essegian pull up as the shot clock expired from the baseline.