Defense fuels No. 20 Purdue past Northwestern

This victory was delivered courtesy of Purdue’s defense.

Aggressive. Relentless. Tough-minded. And plenty of hustle.

The Boilermakers imposed their defensive will from the opening tip and let the offense fill in the blanks during a 79-61 victory over Northwestern at Mackey Arena.

Granted, the Wildcats missed open shots and committed a few careless turnovers, but they were uncomfortable throughout Sunday’s game. Give credit to Purdue’s defense.

Leading scorers Nick Martinelli and Brooks Barnhizer averaged a combined 40 points. They totaled four points in the first half on 1 of 10 shooting. Northwestern had zero rhythm on the offensive end, and that’s because of how Matt Painter’s team dictated style and pace.

PDF: Purdue-Northwestern statistics

By halftime, the Wildcats were shooting 25% from the field and 2 of 14 from 3-point range. They also had seven turnovers.

Purdue played with a high level of physicality on the defensive end, countering what the Wildcats typically bring to the court. The Boilermakers secured nearly every 50-50 ball, dove on the floor for loose balls, and protected the rim.

Northwestern is one of the best teams in the country at handling the ball, averaging 9.2 turnovers. Midway through the second half, the Wildcats had 10 turnovers, and Purdue scored 19 points off those mistakes.

Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn headlined the offense, but production came from other areas.

C.J. Cox hit a 3-pointer to start the scoring and finished with 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Smith took over, hitting fadeaway jumpers, and Kaufman-Renn controlled the inside, but the contributions from Caleb Furst, Gicarri Harris, and Myles Colvin created enough separation.

Smith had 22 points, hitting three 3-pointers, and added seven assists and six rebounds. Kaufman-Renn finished with 12 and tied a career-high with four assists. Fletcher Loyer scored nine as the junior moved closer to 1,000 career points.

Barnhizer had 11 points to lead the Wildcats, and Martinelli added 10 – all in the second half. The pair needed a combined 23 field goal attempts to reach 21 points. Freshman Angelo Ciarvavino led Northwestern with 19 points.

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