March 8, 2003
Purdue-Michigan Statistics in PDF Format
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By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER
Associated Press Writer
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Willie Deane scored a career-high 36 points as Purdue concluded its regular season with a 69-61 win over Michigan Saturday.
The win gives the Boilermakers (18-9, 10-6) their sixth double-digit-win Big Ten season in the past decade.
The Wolverines (17-12, 10-6), who have dropped three of their last four games, got within 53-48 with less that four minutes remaining on a 3-pointer by senior LaVell Blanchard.
Blanchard was playing his final game at Crisler Arena. He came in averaging 16.2 points per game, but managed only 11 points against Purdue.
The forward turned his right ankle late in the first half of Wednesday's 78-62 win over Penn State and didn't play much in the second half of that game.
After Blanchard's basket, Purdue scored eight unanswered points, including a Deane 3-pointer with less than 90 seconds to go that put the Boilermakers up 61-48 and sent Michigan fans streaming to the exits.
Deane's previous high this season was 27 points against Ohio State on Jan. 29. His previous career high was 31 against Southwest Missouri State on Dec. 20, 2001.
Deane had 22 points when Michigan beat then-No. 24 Purdue 78-67 on Feb. 19 at West Lafayette, Ind.
No other Purdue player scored in double figures Saturday.
The Boilermakers, who led 33-26 at the intermission, held Michigan without a field goal for more than seven minutes in the first half.
Deane scored nine points during a 14-1 run that gave Purdue its biggest lead of the half, 27-13, at 6:06.
Lester Abram led Michigan with 11 first-half points, including a 3-pointer that brought the Wolverines to within 31-24 with less than a minute to go.
Abram and Daniel Horton each scored 15 points.
The Wolverines, who finished 11-18 and 5-11 in the Big Ten a season ago, played in front of their second sellout of the season at home.
Purdue, the Big Ten leader with a 7-1 mark halfway through the conference season, has lost five of eight.