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Quick Wrap - Purdue 76, Illinois 71 - Senior Day Win

A dominant first half performance is almost over shadowed by a furious second half comeback by Illinois.

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Brandon Newman and the Purdue Boilermakers looked like too much for Illinois, jumping out to a 21 point first half lead, but Illinois tied up the game in the second before Purdue took control again, winning 76-71 in their last regular season game.

Senior Night was going just about as good as it could for Purdue early. Behind a monster first half performance from Brandon Newman and Braden Smith, the Boilers looked like the dominant team that earned the #1 ranking for seven weeks this season.

But Illinois wouldn't go down without a fight, coming all the way back to tie the game at 67 in the second half.

Purdue's three-pointers were falling in the first half and forcing Illinois into turnovers, but the script flipped in the second half.

Zach Edey had one of his quietest games of the season, scoring 17 points and grabbing just 6 boards.

Brandon Newman, inserted into the starting lineup for the second straight game, was an immediate spark and his 3 first half steals set the tone for the Boilermakers. He led the team in scoring with 19 points to go with his 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals.

Braden Smith scored 14 points in the first half, but finished with just 15 points on the game.

Illinois's three-point shooting in the second half helped the Illini get back in this one, making 6 of 14 in the second half. Matthew Mayer led the Illini with 16 points but was just 1 of 10 from three-point range. Terrence Shannon Jr. was held in check by Brandon Newman, scoring just 13 points before fouling out in the final minute.

Trey Kaufman-Renn had another good half, coming in and scoring 8 first half points on 3 of 3 shooting with Edey getting into foul trouble in the first half.

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Senior Day

It was the last regular season game of the season and Purdue's Senior Day.

Walk-on Matt Frost and transfer, David Jenkins Jr., both had their ceremonies after the game. Frost spent four years as a walk-on for Purdue while Jenkins Jr. transferred for his sixth season in college basketball from Utah.


1st Half

Brandon Newman started his second game of the season and he ignited Purdue from the tip.

Brandon Newman assisted on Purdue's first basket, finding Mason Gillis inside for a lay up and an early 2-0 Purdue lead.

Then Newman stole the ball from Terrence Shannon Jr. as Shannon attempted to bring the ball up the court. Newman turned the steal into a lay up at the other end.

On Illinois' next possession, Newman stole a pass this time. Newman would then miss a three, but Zach Edey would get the offensive rebound and Braden Smith would finish the possession by getting to the hoop and making a lay up.

Newman would then force his third turnover, getting into Shannon's dribble. Shannon would fall with the ball then roll over, getting called for the travel. Smith would finish another possession by getting inside and making a lay up.

Purdue's lead was 8-0 just over two minutes into the game.

Then Brandon Newman would come off a screen and hit his first three of the game from the left wing to give Purdue an 11-0 run to start the game.

Matthew Mayer would get the first basket for the Illini, driving in and hitting a floater.

Newman would turn the ball over after getting stuck in the paint after a drive.

RJ Melendez would take off the other way and draw a foul on Fletcher Loyer in transition. The two free throws would cut Purdue's lead 11-4.

Zach Edey would get in on the scoring, making a hook from the paint.

Terrence Shannon would get his first bucket, driving left and hitting a tough pull up from the elbow. Cutting into Illinois' deficit, 13-6.

Edey would then get another hook shot to go and a whistle. He'd make the free throw and extend Purdue's lead to ten points.

Sencire Harris would then provide Illinois with production off the bench, tipping in a miss to take the game to 16-8.

Braden Smith would respond with a pull up mid-range jumper to go back up 10.

Trey Kaufman-Renn would be left along at the right wing and knock down a three-pointer. The big man off the bench would give Purdue it's biggest lead of the game to start, 21-8.

Harris would then hit a floater and a three in back to back possessions to cut the lead to 21-13 in favor of the Boilers.

Trey Kaufman-Renn would then get a look on the block and would finish a spin move with a soft hook off the glass. Purdue back up 10.

Coleman Hawkins would finish a drive with a floater for Illinois after getting Purdue in rotation and attacking after a swing pass.

Then Hawkins would find Luke Goode, Fletcher Loyer's high school teammate at Homestead, for a lay up after grabbing an offensive rebound.

Matthew Mayer would drive and finish a lay up while drawing a foul. The And-1 would finish a 7-0 Illini run and Purdue would lead just 23-20.

Newman would get the ball inside to Zach Edey who would finish a hook shot to stabilize Purdue's offense and put them up 25-20 with less than 8 minutes in the first half.

Edey drew a foul on a hook shot on the next possession, the ball would be blocked away near the rim, but there was no call for goaltending. Edey would make one of two to push Purdue's lead to 26-20.

Ty Rodgers would then draw Edey's second foul at the other end. He'd make one of two as well, but more importantly, Edey would go to the bench in foul trouble.

Braden Smith would get free for a pull-up three after a Trey Kaufman-Renn screen took Sencire Harris to the ground, hard.

Dain Dainja would then get a lay up to go at the other end to cut Purdue's lead to 29-21.

Trey Kaufman-Renn would attack the hoop on the next possession and get fouled. He'd make one of two and Purdue would go into the under 4 media timeout with a 30-23 lead.

Purdue's transition game and Brandon Newman continued to provide Purdue with a spark as they'd finish the first half on an 18-3 run.

Newman would get out in transition and finish an And-1 lay up off a long rebound to give Purdue a 33-23 lead.

Then Newman would force another steal near mid-court and get fouled driving to the hoop in transition. He'd make just one of two free throws, but he'd make up for it by knocking down another three on Purdue's next possession.

Then Fletcher Loyer would drive and kick to an open Braden Smith for three. Purdue would take a 40-23 lead.

Dainja would temporarily quiet the crowd when a loose ball got knocked to him in the post and he converted an And-1.

Smith would hit an up and under lay up on the baseline for Purdue on its next possession.

Then Loyer would steal a pass and find Brandon Newman for another three.

Trey Kaufman-Renn would finish the half for Purdue, driving late in the shot clock and hitting a high floating lay up off glass.

Illinois would fail to get a shot off to end the half and Purdue would go into the locker room up 47-26.

2nd Half

Purdue got off to a good start in the second half with Mason Gillis skying in to grab a missed Edey hook and getting the put back to go with his left hand.

Coleman Hawkins at the other end drew a foul cutting to the hoop on Fletcher Loyer and would hit one of two free throws.

Then Edey would find a cutting Gillis for two free throws, extending Purdue's lead to 51-27.

Then Illinois would get hot from three with Coleman Hawkins knocking down a three and then Shannon hitting his first three of the game to cut into Purdue's lead, 51-33.

Edey would then draw a foul on the block and would hit one of two free throws.

Mayer would get fouled on a jump shot on Illinois' next possession. He'd make just one of two free throws and Purdue's lead would be 52-34.

Edey would then get a hook shot to fall in the paint for Purdue to go back up 20.

Dainja would respond for Illinois with a dunk off a Hawkins feed.

Gillis would go back to the line for Purdue but make only one of two and Purdue would be up 55-36.

Matthew Mayer would hit another three for Illinois to cut the lead to 16 points.

Edey would get a hook shot to go for Purdue with the shot clock winding down.

Then Harris would get on the offensive glass again for the Illini to put a put back in and Luke Goode would get free for a wing three on Illinois' next possession.

The three would cut Purdue's lead to 57-44 and Matt Painter would call a timeout with 12:20 remaining in the game.

The timeout back fired for Purdue as it gave Illinois the chance to set up a press. Jenkins Jr. got the ball in the corner and he was forced to try and pass over a double team where Luke Goode intercepted the pass and finished with a lay up.

Ethan Morton would get the steal for Purdue on Illinois's next possession and Caleb Furst would clean up Morton's lay up attempt to give Purdue a 59-46 lead.

Melendez would get an offensive rebound for Illinois and get fouled on the put back. Both free throws would cut Purdue's lead to 11. A Zach Edey turnover would then give Mayer's a chance to cut Purdue's lead to single-digits with a hook shot inside.

David Jenkins Jr. would hit a turn around in the paint to put Purdue up 61-50, but Hawkins would drive and find Melendez inside for a dunk to put the game back at 9 points.

Ethan Morton would steal a pass for Purdue and get past Illinois's transition defense to finish with a left-handed lay up.

Purdue would go into the under 8 minute media timeout with a 63-52 lead.

Terrence Shannon Jr. would then hit a driving lay up as he got knocked to the ground. The And-1 free throw cut Purdue's lead to 8 for the first time in the second half.

Fletcher Loyer would get fouled on an Illinois miss when he got knocked to the ground by Melendez. It would be Melendez's fourth foul.

Shannon would then draw a foul on a pull up when Newman hit his arm. He'd make both to move the game to 65-57.

Purdue would then start to get loose with the ball. Gillis would turn it over and Loyer would have to foul to prevent a lay up. Mayer would make both free throws to cut it to six.

A Harris lay up would then cut the game to just 4 points.

Smith would then get a pass deflected against the press and Illinois would steal the pass but Harris would miss the front end of a 1 and 1.

Caleb Furst would give Purdue an extra possession, stealing a rebound and then getting fouled on the baseline. But he'd miss the first free throw and despite Edey deflecting the miss, Purdue couldn't corral it.

Purdue forced a miss and the long rebound was grabbed by Morton who tossed it out to Smith who looked to have an open path to the hoop but Shannon hustled back and blocked the lay up at the rim.

An off ball foul was called to give Newman free throws, but Newman missed the front end again for Purdue.

With three minutes remaining, Purdue's lead was just 65-61 when Edey turned the ball over trying to pass to a cutting Furst.

Mayer would get by Edey and get a lay up to go, taking Purdue's once 20+ point lead all the way down to 65-63 with less than three minutes to go.

Purdue would call a timeout and Loyer would get the ball into Edey in the post would draw a foul on a double team.

He'd make the first free throw and the second to give Purdue a four point cushion.

But Shannon would get isolated onto Caleb Furst and get the big man stepping back before hitting a three-pointer to cut the lead to 67-66 with two minutes left int he game.

Edey would then foul Mayer hard, biting on a pump fake and coming straight down on Mayer. Mayer would miss the first free throw with 1:17 in the game but make the second and Illinois would come all the way back to tie the game at 67.

Edey would navigate a double-team, stepping through and finishing with a left-handed lay up for Purdue giving them the lead back, 69-67.

Ethan Morton would deflect away a Mayer dribble on the defensive end, but couldn't maintain possession of the ball. Illinois in bounded with 7 seconds on the shot clock forcing Shannon to drive quick on Newman but Shannon lost control of the ball and turned it over.

Purdue would get the ball with 30.5 on the clock, holding onto a 69-67 lead.

Shannon was then called for a foul, holding Fletcher Loyer as Purdue attempted to in bound the ball.

Loyer would make both free throws to extend Purdue's lead to 71-67.

Mayer would then hurry a three-pointer and air-ball it long where Brandon Newman would corral the rebound and draw a foul with 21.4 seconds left in the game.

Newman would make both to give Purdue a 73-67 lead with just over 20 seconds to play.

Hawkins would draw a foul driving to the hoop with 16 seconds left, down 6.

He'd miss the first and the second, but the Melendez would get past Newman and grab the rebound, drawing a foul on Newman.

Melendez would go on to miss his first free throw. His second would cut the game to 5 points.

Purdue would get the in bounds to Smith streaking up the floor and the freshman would go to the line up 73-68 with 12.3 seconds remaining.

He'd miss the first but knock down the second to give Purdue a six point lead.

Luke Goode would then hit a fall away thirty foot three to cut the game back to one possession for Illinois. Newman would get fouled with 5.3 left in the game.


Newman would drain the first and all but ice the game for Purdue. His second would give Purdue a 76-71 lead and the win.




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