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#15 Purdue Rallies to Top Northwestern Behind Cox's Career High#15 Purdue Rallies to Top Northwestern Behind Cox's Career High

#15 Purdue Rallies to Top Northwestern Behind Cox's Career High

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#15 Purdue 70, Northwestern 66 (Postgame Notes)

  • 15 Purdue rallied from a 10-point, second-half deficit to defeat Northwestern 70-66 in Welsh-Ryan Arena on Wednesday night.
  • The Boilermakers improved to 23-7 overall and 13-6 in the Big Ten Conference with the victory. It marks the sixth straight season with at least 13 league victories for the Boilermakers. Purdue becomes the first team in Big Ten Conference history to have six straight seasons of 13 or more league victories.
  • Purdue won at Welsh-Ryan Arena for the first time since Feb. 2022. The Purdue senior class won a road game against every Big Ten foe with the exception of UCLA, which it only faced once.
  • The seven Big Ten road victories tied a school record for most conference road victories, now done 10 different seasons, including the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns. Purdue has won at least seven conference road games in three of the last four seasons.
  • The senior class ended its conference road career with a 26-14 (.650) record.
  • The 110 career victories by the senior class are now tied for the second most in a four-year span in Purdue history.
  • The senior class has won 58 conference games during their careers, needing a win on Saturday against Wisconsin to tie the Big Ten record for most wins by a senior class (Purdue 2025, Purdue 2024, Indiana 1978, Indiana 1977).
  • The win was Purdue’s ninth quad-1 victory, the fifth-most in the country through Wednesday’s contests.
  • Purdue had 14 turnovers, its most since having 14 against Oregon, a span of six games ago.
  • Purdue outrebounded Northwestern 29-15. The 15 rebounds allowed are tied for the second fewest in a game in school history (also: Feb. 20, 2026, vs. Indiana).
  • J. Cox scored a career-high 27 points with three rebounds and three assists, going 10-of-13 from the field and 5-of-8 from 3-point range. In addition, he had zero turnovers in 28 minutes and now has just three turnovers in 467 minutes in conference play. He’s had three turnovers in his last 23 games of action.
  • Trey Kaufman-Renn recorded his 10th double-double of the season with 11 points, 10 rebounds and two assists. Kaufman-Renn surpassed 1,500 points and 700 rebounds in the win, becoming the seventh player in school history with 1,500 points, 700 rebounds and 200 assists (Vince Edwards, Robbie Hummel, Brian Cardinal, Brad Miller, Todd Mitchell, Walter Jordan).
  • Braden Smith had seven points, nine assists and three rebounds, while playing 40 minutes for the first time this season.
  • Smith moved into the top 10 on Purdue’s career scoring list with 1,816 points.
  • Fletcher Loyer has made a 3-pointer in 12 straight games and now has 276 career trifectas, just five shy of the school record set by Carsen Edwards (281).

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — C.J. Cox scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 48 seconds left that helped No. 15 Purdue edged Northwestern 70-66 on Wednesday night.

Cox outlasted Nick Martinelli in a memorable duel in the final minutes, sending Purdue to a sorely needed victory. The Boilermakers (23-7, 13-6 Big Ten) had lost two in a row and three of four overall.

Trey Kaufman-Renn added 11 points and 10 rebounds, shaking off a shoulder injury in the second half. Fletcher Loyer finished with 10 points.

Martinelli, a senior playing his final home game, scored 19 of his 28 points in the second half. The Big Ten’s leading scorer moved into seventh on the school’s career list with 1,687 points, passing Northwestern assistant coach Bryant McIntosh.

Jayden Reid scored 16 points for the Wildcats (13-17, 5-14), who had won three in a row. Northwestern was in control before Purdue got back in the game with a 9-0 run in the second half. Cox tied it at 43 on a layup with 13:22 remaining.

Braden Smith was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made three free throws to give the Boilermakers a 65-63 lead with 1:33 left. But the Wildcats moved back in front on Jordan Clayton’s contested 3 as the shot clock expired.

Cox then put Purdue ahead to stay on a 3 with 48 seconds remaining. Following a Northwestern turnover, Smith helped close it out with two free throws with 12 seconds left.

The Boilermakers shot 62.5% (15 for 24) from the field in the second half, compared to 45.8% (11 for 24) for the Wildcats.

Northwestern led by 11 before settling for a 34-25 lead at the break. Reid scored nine points in the first half on 4-for-5 shooting.