Feb. 24, 2000
By HARRY ATKINS
AP Sports Writer
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Brian Cardinal scored 20 points to lead No. 21 Purdue to its seventh straight win, 78-75 over Michigan on Thursday night.
The Boilermakers (20-7, 11-3 Big Ten) got all they could handle from the emotionally charged Wolverines (13-11, 4-9), playing without freshmen Jamal Crawford, the team's leading scorer who was suspended by the NCAA.
Michigan also went without freshman LaVell Blanchard, one of the Wolverines' steadiest players, who left with an injured right knee 28 seconds into the game.
Gavin Groninger, another freshman, led Michigan with 19 points before fouling out with 2:06 remaining and freshman Kevin Gaines added 18 for the Wolverines.
Michigan led by five at halftime, but the Wolverines went 5:22 into the second half before hitting their first field goal.
The Boilermakers, meanwhile, chipped away and finally got their first lead, 51-49, on Carson Cunningham's 3-pointer with 10:52 left.
Michigan regained the lead, 53-51 on Groninger's 3-pointer with 10:08 left.
But the Boilermakers took the lead back when Mike Robinson, who finished with 17, made a three-point play 10 seconds later. Purdue led 62-57 on Greg McQuay's layup with 7:32 left.
The Boilermakers increased their lead to 70-63 on Cardinal's 3-pointer with 2:40 remaining.
Chris Young had a chance to tie it at 74 with 10.6 seconds left, but the first of his two free throw attempts spun out of the rim. The Wolverines were forced to foul the rest of the way and Purdue made four free throws, three by Cunningham.
Groninger hit three 3s as the Wolverines, who scored the first nine points, built a 29-13 lead with 6:29 left in the first half.
Purdue, getting a three-point play from Robinson and a 3-point basket by Cardinal, closed it to 33-30 with 2:14 left in the half.
Michigan's Peter Vignier sandwiched a hook shot and a layup around a layup by Purdue's Jaraan Cornell and the Wolverines led 37-32 at halftime.
The Wolverines, expecting to get Crawford back from a six-game NCAA suspension, learned earlier in the day that the NCAA had hit him with another suspension - this one for eight games - for a newfound violation.
Crawford's six-game ban was for living with a benefactor who wasn't his legal guardian while a high school student in Seattle.
While investigating that situation, Michigan learned Crawford had attempted to apply for the NBA draft after signing to play for the Wolverines. The school reported its concern to the NCAA, which first said Crawford's collegiate career was finished. Later in the day, the NCAA made it an eight-game suspension after an appeal by Michigan.