The Sports Xchange
Dec 3, 2017
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Isaac Haas scored 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Ryan Cline added 13 points - including 10 in the second half - helping Purdue edge Northwestern 74-69 Sunday during the 50th anniversary celebration of Mackey Arena.
The Boilermakers (8-2, 2-0 Big Ten) closed the game on a 7-0 run after trailing approaching the final minute. Vincent Edwards had 12 points and eight rebounds despite shooting just 4 of 12 from the field.
Haas tied the game at 67 on a jumper with 2:04 remaining, and the Wildcats (5-4, 1-1) took a two-point lead on a basket by Dererk Pardon 30 seconds later. Purdue tied the game on two free throws by Haas with 76 seconds remaining and took the lead for good on a jumper by Haas with 43 seconds left.
Pardon led Northwestern with 20 points. He scored 16 in the second half, shooting 7 of 9 from the field.
Northwestern opened the game shooting 3 of 4 and took a two-possession lead in the first minute, but Purdue weathered a 1 for 8 shooting slump and answered with a 17-5 run spanning 7:09.
Matt Haarms blocked shots on consecutive defensive possessions and followed up with a put back layup to give the Boilermakers a 12-point lead, their largest of the game.
The Wildcats failed to connect on back-to-back shots for over 10 minutes of the first half, including a five minute scoring drought, but found a rhythm coming out of the second media timeout.
Scottie Lindsey shot 3 of 5 to end the first half, and Isiah Brown added seven points in nine minutes off the bench, helping Northwestern close the half on a 22-10 run, tying the game at 33-33 by halftime. After a perimeter-oriented first half, in which both teams combined for 24 3-point attempts, post play became the focus in a tit-for-tat second half.
Haarms, a 7-foot-3 freshman known for his ability to alter shots on the defensive end, was subbed in for Haas with 1:16 remaining and the game tied and forced a turnover and blocked a shot in the final minute. He finished with four points, four rebounds and four blocks in 12 minutes.