5 Thoughts From Purdue's 70-66 Victory Over Northwestern
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Just win. At this point in the college basketball season, grabbing victories is all that really matters. That's exactly what Purdue was able to accomplish on Wednesday night in Evanston.
Despite an ugly first half, Purdue overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat Northwestern 70-66, improving to 23-7 on the year and 13-6 in Big Ten play. It was also the Boilers' seventh road victory in conference play this season.
It wasn't pretty, but Matt Painter's team got the job done. Let's talk about it, shall we?
C.J. Cox steps up in major moments
Without question, C.J. Cox was the reason Purdue is headed back to West Lafayette with a win. The sophomore guard scored 27 points and connected on 10-of-13 shots from the floor. He really exploded in the second half, scoring 21 of his points in the final 20 minutes.
Not only did Cox help Purdue chip away at an 11-point lead, but he also made some clutch shots in important moments. When Purdue trailed 43-39, he scored the next four points to tie the game at 43-43. In the final 4:30, he dropped in 11 points, which included a go-ahead three-pointer with 48 seconds to give the Boilers a 68-66 advantage.
For Purdue to be successful in March, it needs other players to contribute at a high level. Cox delivered in a big way for the Boilers when it mattered most.
Overcoming the first half lull
Usually, Purdue struggling in the first half has been a death sentence. The Boilers were 0-4 in games when trailing at halftime this season and found themselves down 34-25 at the break. They shot 44% from the field, were 3-of-11 from three-point range, didn't attempt a free throw and totaled eight turnovers.
It looked like another night of doom and gloom.
But Braden Smith settled down in the second half, started moving the basketball earlier in possessions and didn't allow Northwestern's defense to begin trapping. That helped Purdue's half-court offense tremendously.
At other points in the season, Purdue has struggled to fight back when opponents deliver early punches. This time, the Boilermakers rose to the occasion and pulled themselves out of the hole.
Steady night for Oscar Cluff
Oscar Cluff has had some ups and downs over the last two months. When he's provided consistency in the post, Purdue has enjoyed a lot of success. The 6-foot-11 senior provided the Boilermakers with a strong and active presence Wednesday night against a smaller Northwestern team.
Cluff's night ended with nine points, seven rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes of work. It was particularly important for the center to be able to stay on the floor, as Daniel Jacobsen struggled again and only played five minutes.
No, this wasn't a 12-point, 14-rebound performance like the one he had against Nebraska a few weeks ago, but Cluff was constantly chasing down rebounds, took advantage of his post touches and caused some problems on the defensive end. That's exactly what Purdue needs from him.
Not much lift from the bench
Depth has been an advantage for Purdue in several games this season, but in the last two contests, the bench hasn't provided much production. On Sunday against Ohio State, the Boilermakers got just five points from their reserves. Against Northwestern, that group combined for just six points, three assists and two rebounds.
Jack Benter and Gicarri Harris played 16 and 12 minutes, respectively, while Omer Mayer logged nine and Jacobsen had just five.
Purdue's starters are more than capable of carrying a heavy workload. In certain situations, that's an expectation. But depth was supposed to be a major strength of this team. All four bench players have produced at a high level at different points throughout the year, but collectively, they've struggled recently.
Every starter contributed
Wednesday night's win may not have been the prettiest, but it was a gritty one. After losing a handful of close contests this season, it was a positive to see Purdue pull one out when things weren't going well for such a large portion of the game.
Most impressive was how every starter contributed in just about every facet of the game. Trey Kaufman-Renn had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Braden Smith had nine assists and seven points. Every started ended the game with at least two rebounds and two assists.
On a night when the bench didn't play particularly well, Purdue's starting five picked up the slack.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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