Purdue Hands Illinois 84-68 Defeat

Foul trouble limited Kofi Cockburn in the first half, but the big man finished with a team-high 18 points and six rebounds. Alfonso Plummer scored 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting from three-point range, making his biggest impact in the first half. 

But it was the late game production of Purdue's Jaden Ivey and Zach Edey that sealed Illinois' fate. Ivey led all scorers with 26 points, 22 of those coming in the second half while Edey had 13 points, showcasing how Purdue has built the best scoring offense in the conference. 

Purdue dominated Illinois in the paint and past the perimeter as 36 of its points came from down low while it shot nearly 41% from three-point range. 

The first half featured a true Big Ten battle as the teams kept it tight through 20 minutes. Illinois started off with the lead as Kofi Cockburn made layups on the first two offensive possessions. While Zach Edey scored first for the Boilermakers, he picked up his first foul within two minutes. Jacob Grandison took over with a three then a steal and layup while Sasha Stefanovic and Trevion WIlliams each made layups.

Da'Monte Williams defensive prowess was on display early as he had a steal and a block in consecutive defensive series. Alfonso Plummer nailed his first three of the steal to give Illinois a 12-6 lead. Jaden Ivey and Trevion WiIlliams each made shots while Andre Curbelo made a pair of free throws. Trent Frazier recorded his third assist of the night as Williams drained a deep ball.

The Illini struggled to produce any offense for a couple minutes as Edey had a dunk. But after Grandison took a  charge and Curbelo had a steal, Plummer scored on a fastback layup. On the next trip down, Edey committed his second foul and headed to the bench for the rest of the half.

Cockburn took advantage and made a putback, but that would be Illinois' last score for the next three and a half minutes. The Boilermakers took control and went on a 12-0 run, while forcing three Illini turnovers. Curbelo ended the scoring drought with a three-pointer, but Cockburn picked up his second foul, sending him to the bench with over six minutes until the break.

Purdue hit a three to take a 31-24 lead as it continued on a 19-3 run. Omar Payne split a pair of free throws, but it was Plummer who got the Illini offense back on track. He made the first field goal in three minutes for Illinois, sinking a three-pointer. While Mason Gillis came back with a three for Purdue, Plummer hit back-to-back deep shots to tie the game up at 34-34.

Illinois made an 8-0 run in just two minutes as Curbelo hit a jumper thanks to an offensive rebound by Payne. Ivey ended the run with two free throws, tying the game back on.

But with six seconds left in the half, Curbelo went all the way down the floor for a layup to take a 38-36 lead into the break.

Shots fell for both teams to start the half as Eric Hunter Jr. and Cockburn traded layups. Edey and Stefanovic took the lead back for Purdue with a layup and a three-pointer. Grandison and Ivey both made layups before Cockburn scored a fast break layup off Frazier's fourth assist.

The Boilermakers took the momentum with a 9-2 run, going up 54-46. Curbelo fought back with a pair of free throws and a layup, but the Boilermaker offense kept pushing. Ivey hit a three while Edey made a dunk to take a nine point lead. R.J. Melendez hit a corner jumper and Curbelo made another pair of free throws.

However, after another Edey layup, Ivey scored six straight points and the Illini trailed by 13. The deficit only grew from there as Illinois went six minutes without a field goal make. Finally after eights straight misses from the Illini, Cockburn made a layup, but Purdue had built up its lead to 77-60 with five minutes to play.

The Illini were unable to come back from the deficit as they fell to the Boilermakers for the second time this season. 

Illinois will return to Champaign this weekend as it hosts Northwestern at 1 p.m. on Sunday.