Jan. 26, 2000
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Mark Vershaw scored 13 points, including seven in a pivotal 13-0 second-half run, to lead Wisconsin to a 55-45 victory over Purdue Wednesday night.
Wisconsin (11-8, 3-4 Big Ten) held Purdue scoreless for nearly nine minutes as it turned a one-point deficit into a 41-29 lead. The Boilermakers never got closer than six points down the stretch.
Brian Cardinal led Purdue (13-6, 4-2) with 12 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out. Carson Cunningham added 11 points. Jaraan Cornell, coming off back-to-back 25-point games, was held scoreless until the final minutes and finished with six points.
Vershaw triggered the decisive Wisconsin run with a basket and two free throws. Mike Kelley then hit four straight free throws, two of them coming after a technical foul was called on Purdue coach Gene Keady for pointing at the scoreboard, which at the time showed a 9-3 differential in fouls.
Purdue, which shot just 28.6 percent from the field, went nearly 14 minutes without a field goal in the second half.
Still, the Boilermakers pulled to within 49-43 on a 3-pointer by Cornell with about 2 minutes remaining. But the Badgers put the game away with two free throws each by Andy Kowske and Jon Bryant and a jumper by Vershaw.
Purdue trailed most of the first half, shooting just 32 percent from the field. Wisconsin led 21-13 after a Vershaw layup with about six minutes remaining.
The Boilermakers then went on a 9-0 run, taking their first lead of the game, 22-21, on a layup by Rodney Smith.
Wisconsin answered with a 3-pointer by Bryant to take a 24-22 lead into halftime.