Wildcats fall short Shurna’s 30 points not enough in loss
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue needed to re-establish its homecourt advantage — and to reinforce its hopes for an NCAA Tournament bid.
The Boilermakers did so Sunday.
Robbie Hummel scored a season-high 27 points and pulled down a game-high 9 rebounds Sunday as Purdue snapped Northwestern’s three-game winning streak with an 87-77 victory.
The Wildcats (15-9, 5-7 Big Ten) got a game-high 30 points from John Shurna but were outscored by 10 in the final 6:57 after Shurna tied the game at 57-57.
Shurna is 45 points behind Bill McKinney’s Northwestern record of 1,900. Shurna scored 23 in the second half, when Northwestern scored 51 points, but gave up 56 to Purdue (16-9, 6-6).
“I didn’t think they could stop us, and we certainly didn’t stop them,” Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said. “It just seemed like when they needed a basket they got it.”
The Wildcats finished the game without two starters — Alex Marcotullio, who fouled out, and Drew Crawford, who was ejected after receiving his second technical foul with 1:25 left. Crawford had 14 points.
Reggie Hearn scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half. Hearn’s final basket, a layup with 10:13 to go, gave Northwestern a 48-47 lead. But Terone Johnson’s 3-pointer put the Boilermakers ahead to stay 60-57 with 6:21 remaining.
Hummel was one of five Boilermakers to score in double figures. D.J. Byrd added 20 points — 18 in the second half — and Ryne Smith contributed 14 for Purdue.
Purdue had lost three of its last four home games after winning its previous 26.
“I think this was important for us to set the tone for the rest of the year that it’s going to be hard to come into Mackey Arena and win,” said Hummel, who made a baseline jumper with 8.1 seconds to go in Purdue’s 58-56 victory at Northwestern on Jan. 18.
Purdue was coming off losses to No. 23 Indiana and No. 3 Ohio State and needed this one to get back to .500 in the Big Ten and help its resume for the NCAA tourney.
Byrd scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half.
“He’s always been someone who has been aggressive,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said of Byrd. “We need him to continue to be aggressive and then on the defensive end be compact and have some discipline.
“When he does those things, he’s really good. Through all of our ups and downs, we always come back and say, he’s not scared and he plays hard. You need guys like that to lay it on the line.”
Johnson scored 11 points and Kelsey Barlow added 10 for Purdue, and Lewis Jackson had 8 assists and no turnovers.
Purdue outrebounded Northwestern 40-28 on Sunday, with Barlow adding 8 and Smith 7 to Hummel’s 9. In the first meeting, the Wildcats had 14 more rebounds than the Boilers.
Northwestern trailed 31-26 at halftime before taking the lead on Hearn’s basket nearly midway through the second half, but that was the Wildcats’ last time in control of the game.