January 23, 1999
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Purdue's struggling Boilermakers needed a big lift, and Carson Cunningham gave it to them.
The sophomore guard, making his first start since transferring from Oregon State two years ago, scored a season-high 24 points and Jaraan Cornell added 20 as the No. 16 Boilermakers survived a late comeback and beat Michigan 81-71 Saturday.
Purdue (15-5, 3-3 Big Ten) blew a 19-point lead early in the second half as Louis Bullock, who became Michigan's fifth 2,000-point scorer, had 21 of his 25 points after the break. The Wolverines (9-11, 3-4) closed within five points before Cornell and Cunningham hit 3-point goals, and Michigan couldn't recover.
The Boilermakers scored their final seven points on free throws, including four by Cunningham, who was 11-for-13 from the foul line for the game.
Purdue had lost four of its past six games and was coming off a season-low 32 percent shooting performance in a 29-point loss at Ohio State, one of the worst defeats in Gene Keady's 19 years as coach.
Cunningham, starting in place of forward Mike Robinson in a revamped three-guard lineup, hit his first four shots, and the rest of the Boilermakers weren't far behind. The only misses among Purdue's first 15 shots were on three 3-pointers apiece by Alan Eldridge and Cornell.
Michigan fell behind 18-4 in the first five minutes but closed within 22-15 after a 3-pointer by Robbie Reid before a basket by Cunningham, who followed that with four straight free throws. A basket by Greg McQuay then helped Purdue back to a 13-point lead within under seven minutes left in the first half, and the Boilermakers twice stretched it to 15 points, the last on a basket by Cornell.
A free throw by Pete Vignier with 1:25 to go was the final point of the period and cut Purdue's lead to 40-26 at the break.
The Wolverines, who shot 30 percent in the first half, missed their first two shots of the second period, and two free throws by Brian Cardinal and a 3-pointer by Cornell gave Purdue its biggest lead of the game at 45-26.
Purdue still led by 17 midway through the period before a basket and five straight free throws by Bullock and a 3-pointer by Leon Jones brought Michigan within 60-53. Minutes later, two free throws by Brandon Smith cut the lead to 61-56. Michigan came within five points twice more before the two big 3-pointers by Cornell and Cunningham.
Bullock's 25 points gave him 2,017 for his career.