Jan. 15, 2000
By STEVE HERMAN
AP Sports Writer
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Brian Cardinal's long-range shooting made sure Purdue kept its Mackey Arena mastery of Wisconsin intact.
Cardinal matched his career high with five 3-pointers and scored 26 points Saturday, his third straight game of 20-plus points since he returned to the starting lineup.
His play helped the Boilermakers overcome an early deficit and beat the Badgers 63-52 for its 26th straight home victory over Wisconsin since 1972.
"They were just giving it to us," Cardinal said of Purdue's 10-for-18 shooting from 3-point range. "They're a great defensive team, but tonight they might have had some defensive breakdowns."
Cardinal made 5-of-7 three-point attempts.
"Wisconsin just packs the lane," he said. "They have such good defense. They left me open a couple times from the outside. After I made my first one, I just felt really confident, and fortunately they were just going in.
"The team has been looking to me to score more, and I've been able to produce. It just depends on who's hot, and the last couple of times I've been hot."
Purdue (11-5, 2-1 Big Ten) never trailed after a first-half flurry by Cardinal, a 6-foot-8 senior. The Boilermakers built an 11-point lead late in the first half, were ahead 31-27 at halftime and stretched the lead to 11 again midway through the second half.
Wisconsin (9-7, 1-3) closed to 50-45 on three straight baskets by Mark Vershaw, but Cardinal made two free throws and Rodney Smith and Jaraan Cornell each made a 3-pointer as Purdue took control down the stretch.
"He outhustled anybody that was on him," Wisconsin coach Dick Bennett said. "But it wasn't so much that we were surprised that he could shoot the 3 ... he's proven that he can do that. We were just giving him that shot and he was making them."
Cornell finished with 14 points. Wisconsin was led by freshman Kirk Penney with 17 points and Andy Kowske with 16 points and nine rebounds.
Cardinal, who missed two games with a broken thumb and then came off the bench the next three games, scored 14 points during a 10-minute first-half stretch after the Badgers went ahead 9-3. He made three 3-pointers, including one during a 10-0 run that gave the Boilermakers their first lead at 16-13.
Two baskets by Kowske gave Wisconsin its final lead. Cardinal scored the next six points on a 3-pointer, a basket and free throw. After a basket by Penney, Purdue scored eight straight points on two 3-pointers by Cornell and two free throws by Carson Cunningham for a 30-19 lead.
Three-pointers by Penney and Jon Bryant helped pull Wisconsin within four at halftime, but Cardinal added two more 3-pointers in the first few minutes of the second half.
His 26 points were the most since he scored 29 in the season-opener against Chaminade. He had 21 points in each of the past two games, against Michigan and Illinois.
"I thought our (15) turnovers and poor defensive rebounding were the story of the game for us," Bennett said. "Purdue played with more energy and aggressiveness and we did not shoot it very well."
Wisconsin shot 45 percent to Purdue's 36 percent. But Purdue outscored the Badgers 30-9 on 3-pointers and, despite missing eight free throws, outscored Wisconsin 11-5 from the line.
"I can't explain why we shoot 3-pointers good and we shoot free throws bad," Purdue coach Gene Keady said. "We've never been able to get a good field goal percentage because we don't get inside shots. Our coaches kept saying, 'Thank goodness for Cardinal tonight.' Last year we couldn't get him to shoot."