Feb 20, 2002
Purdue-Northwestern Box Score in PDF Format
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EVANSTON, Ill (AP) - Winston Blake scored 18 points and Northwestern, normally a Big Ten doormat, went over the .500 mark in league play with a 61-48 win Wednesday night over Purdue.
The Wildcats (16-9, 7-6) have won three in a row in the conference for the first time since the 1975-76 season. Purdue, which scored a season-low, has lost five of the last six games.
The Boilermakers (12-16, 4-10) took an 11-2 lead on John Allison's jumper with 15:34 left in the first half. Brett Buscher scored six points during the span.
After Northwestern head coach Bill Carmody called a 30-second timeout, the Wildcats went on a 13-0 run that was started on a jumper by Collier Drayton and capped by Blake's 3-pointer. That gave the Wildcats a 15-11 lead. The game stayed close with Northwestern leading 23-22 at halftime.
The Wildcats moved comfortably ahead by going on a 15-4 spurt in the second half. The run ended on a Jason Burke three-pointer to give Northwestern a 50-38 lead with 3:22 remaining.
Willie Deane was the only Boilermaker to score in double figures with 16 points. Purdue managed just 33 percent shooting from the field.
Jitim Young added 10 points for the Wildcats.