Big 10 play has not been kind so far this season to the Northwestern Wildcats. The series of heartbreaking losses continued against Purdue, as the Wildcats fell 56-54. With the loss, the Wildcats have now dropped three games by two points or less in conference play.
The lack of depth on the roster was apparent, with only six players seeing action for Northwestern. Drew Crawford led the way with a game-high 23 points on 9/16 shooing. The only other player to score in double-figures was John Shurna, who netted 15 points, but missed a contested three-pointer at the buzzer that would have given Northwestern the win.
Purdue did an excellent job of controlling the tempo in the victory. The Boilermakers limited their mistakes, as they only turned the ball over six times. Terone Johnson netted a team-high 14 points, while Robbie Hummel scored 11 points. It was Hummel that sealed the win for the Boilermakers, as he hit an off-balance jumper with just seconds remaining to give Purdue the lead.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this matchup, check out Northwestern blog Sippin' On Purple and Purdue blog Hammer and Rails. For more from around college hoops, visit SB Nation's NCAA basketball news hub.