Illinois Pulls Away From Purdue For Win

They're off to their best conference start since 2005-06, ended a seven-game losing streak at Mackey Arena and swept the season series with Purdue for the first time since 2008-09.

And after an atypical start to the game, Underwood got his team to follow a more common theme over the final 20 minutes. They outscored Purdue 50-32 in the second half, never giving the Boilermakers a chance.

"I don't know if you can ever count on going 9 of 10 to start the second half, but I thought our guys executed," Underwood said. "All you can ask is for an opposing coach or players to say `You guys played really, really hard and out toughed us.' "

It really wasn't even close over the final 20 minutes, either. The Illini swung the momentum quickly, opening the second half with seven straight points to erase a 30-29 halftime lead. Then, after making five straight baskets to make it 49-39 with 13:30 to play, they extended the margin to 60-45 on Giorgi Bezhanishvili's 3-pointer with 8:27 left.

Underwood's defense didn't allow Purdue to get closer than nine again.

"They didn't do anything differently (in the second half), they executed better," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "Illinois' fight is so much better than ours. They have a great competitive spirit."

Ayo Dosunmu finished with 18 points and a career high 11 assists for the Illini, his first career double-double. Bezhanishvili had 10 points.

Cockburn nearly posted a double-double in the first half with nine points and nine rebounds at the break.

Nojel Eastern had 14 points and Trevion Williams scored 12 to lead Purdue (10-9, 4-4).

The Boilermakers have lost four of five and had a 15-game winning streak in conference home games end. The Illini also snapped a seven-game losing streak at Mackey Arena.

Illinois came into the game allowing 57.3 points as teams shot just 36.6% from the field and 31.1% on 3s during their previous four wins. They weren't quite as good Tuesday, allowing Purdue to shoot 41.1% from the field and 37.5% on 3s -- but they were more than good enough.

UP NEXT

Illinois hits the road again Saturday when it heads to Michigan (11 am CT on FS1), before returning home on Jan. 30 to host Minnesota.
Illinois Postgame Notes• No. 21 Illinois is on a five-game Big Ten winning streak, the longest active streak in the Big Ten.

• Illinois has won five straight Big Ten games for the first time since Feb. 7-21, 2013.

• Illinois won at Purdue for the first time in 11+ years, snapping a seven-game losing streak. Illinois' last victory at Mackey Arena was a 71-67 overtime win in the opener of the 2009 Big Ten campaign (Dec. 30, 2008).

• Illinois is off to its best eight-game start in the Big Ten since also starting 6-2 in 2006.

• Illinois won at Purdue and at Wisconsin in the same season for the first time since the 2004-05 Big Ten championship and national runner-up team. 

• Road teams are 8-42 in Big Ten play. Illinois has two of the wins (at Wisconsin, at Purdue).

• No. 21 Illinois snapped Purdue's six-game winning streak at Mackey Arena against ranked teams. 

• Illinois' 17 point win at Mackey Arena is the seventh-largest by an opponent since the building opened in 1967.

• Illinois outrebounded Purdue, 37-19. The Illini have outrebounded its opponent in 14 of 19 games, and 10 times by double digits. Illinois' season rebounding margin is +10.4 (776-578).

• Illinois shot 75% in the second half (15-20), the fifth-best shooting percentage in a half against Purdue in the last 50 years. 

• Kofi Cockburn had 22 points and 15 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season, extending his Illinois freshman record. His eight double-doubles are third in the nation among freshmen, behind Memphis' Precious Achiuwa and Duke's Vernon Carey, Jr. 

• Ayo Dosunmu had 18 points and 11 assists, his first career double-double. His 11 assists are a career high.

• Illinois had two players with double-doubles in a Big Ten game for the first time since at Rutgers 2/3/2016 when Malcolm Hill (32 points, 14 rebounds) and Kendrick Nunn (10 points, 13 rebounds) both had double-doubles (W, 110-101, 3 OT).

• Trent Frazier had a season-high 21 points and tied a season high with five three-pointers. Frazier played 199:47 minutes straight without a turnover from Dec. 21 until Jan. 21. He did not commit a turnover in six consecutive games before a turnover in the first half at Purdue. 

• Sophomore guard Alan Griffin was ejected with 12:21 left in the first half for a flagrant 2 foul.