WEST LAFAYETTE — Illinois outscored Purdue 50-32 in the second half for a 79-62 win at Mackey Arena Tuesday.
It was the fifth straight win for the surging Illini who are ranked 21st in the country this week. Purdue, on the other hand, has hit the skids, with two straight defeats and four losses in five games.
Things looked promising at the half with the Boilermakers leading by one. But it was all Illinois over the final 20 minutes.
The Illini held Purdue to 41% shooting while hitting 55% of their shots. And Illinois had a huge 37-19 rebounding advantage.
Nojel Eastern led the Boilermakers with 14 points. Purdue is now 10-9 overall and 3-5 in Big Ten play. The Boilers host Wisconsin on Friday.
