No. 14 Purdue 81, Illinois 70

The Boiling Point: Purdue used an efficient offensive attack to surge past the Illini after a slow start, earning a key road win that keeps it in the conference race.


Audio: Lewis Jackson | E’Twaun Moore | DJ Byrd

THE STORY: The Boilers out-hustled and out-worked Illinois after halftime, taking control of the game down the stretch and holding on in the final moments. They scored just 27 points in the first half, but exploded for 54 in the final 20 minutes. The Illini couldn’t keep pace. The victory snapped Purdue’s four-game road losing streak. A bit concerning is the long-term status of D.J. Byrd, who left the game with what appeared to be a hip injury.

TURNING POINT: Purdue had turned the ball over on back-to-back possessions and the Illini appeared to be on the verge of getting back in it. But E’Twaun Moore’s and-one layup with 3:39 left put the Boilers back up by 10, which proved to be enough cushion.

GAME BALL: Has to go to JaJuan Johnson. He finished with 24 points and had several highlight-reel dunks to turn the momentum in Purdue’s favor. His nine rebounds were helpful, too.

SPORTSCENTER MOMENT: Johnson found himself isolated one-on-one with Illinois’ Mike Davis, so he put the basketball in his left hand and dribbled down the center of the lane. He jumped, switched the ball to his right hand mid-air, and jammed it home.

WHAT IT MEANS: An important win for Purdue, which is now tied with Wisconsin for second place in the conference standings. Sets the stage for a huge week. The Badgers (Wednesday) and the first-place Buckeyes (Sunday) come to Mackey Arena next.

GETTING CRITICAL: The Boilers matched up well with Illinois because, quite frankly, they didn’t have to play their inexperienced interior players. But it’s a little concerning that guys like Patrick Bade and Sandi Marcius (and where did Travis Carroll go?) still are unable to make valuable contributions against decent opponents. Purdue needs at least one of those players to figure it out, especially if this D.J. Byrd injury lingers.

ODDS AND ENDS: Thank you, Demetri McCamey for choosing not to stay engaged all game long. It’s always helpful when the opposing point guard doesn’t want to be there. Oh ya, nice dunk attempt. Bahahaha! … Mike Davis must have been getting on the Boilers’ nerves, because after Terone Johnson lobbed that in-bounds pass to Johnson (who flushed it nicely, by the way), the freshman looked right at Davis and yelled something. Pretty funny. … Why was Byrd included on that double technical in the first half? The CBS guys seemed to know why, but they never shared that info. From that short, interrupted replay, it looked like Byrd patted his own chest. Hmm.