Dec. 31, 2010
Box Score
Site: West Lafayette, Ind. (Mackey Arena)
Score: #12 Purdue 82, Northwestern 69
Records: NU (9-2, 0-1 Big Ten), Purdue (13-1, 2-0 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Monday, Jan. 3 -- vs. Michigan State (Welsh-Ryan Arena), 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: Game is a sellout.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Michael Thompson scored 18 points and Luka Mirkovic tied a career high with 16, but Northwestern fell short in its Big Ten opener Friday afternoon, falling 82-69 to 12th-ranked Purdue at Mackey Arena.
Purdue rode the hot hand of E'Twaun Moore early on as the senior All-America candidate hit five 3-pointers in the first six minutes and nine seconds of the contest to give the hosts a 19-12 advantage.
The hosts' lead was 28-20 when treys by Davide Curletti and John Shurna sandwiched a basket by JaJuan Johnson to get the Wildcats within four. JerShon Cobb, who had a solid first half with eight points, then got a lay-in to trim Northwestern's deficit to a deuce.
Another bucket by Cobb with 5:08 left kept NU within 33-30, but that would prove to be the Wildcats' final points of the half. Purdue scored the final nine points of the opening stanza to take a 42-30 lead into the intermission.
Northwestern was able to trim five points off its halftime deficit by the first media timeout of the second period, getting to within 48-41.
The Purdue lead was nine when Mirkovic hit his first two 3-pointers of the season and then made another basket to get the 'Cats to within 55-51 with 12:36 to go.
Seven in a row by the Boilermakers extended their advantage back to 11, and eventually grew to 12 before NU made one final push. A lay-in by Thompson, a breakaway steal and slam by Mike Capocci and a triple by Thompson made it 66-61 with 6:31 left.
However, that would be as close as Northwestern would get as a huge 3-pointer by Ryne Smith with 4:04 to go extended the Boilermakers' advantage to nine.
Mirkovic's point total matched his mark against Purdue Jan. 16 of last season. Cobb's 12 points equaled his collegiate best. Moore led Purdue with 31 points, while Johnson contributed 19 points and nine rebounds.
The Wildcats open their Big Ten home slate at 6:30 p.m. Monday as they take on Michigan State.
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