EVANSTON, Ill. — Boo Buie scored seven of his 31 points in overtime to help Northwestern beat Zach Edey and No. 1 Purdue for the second straight season, winning 92-88 on Friday night in the Big Ten opener for each school.
Buie also had nine assists and four rebounds, rallying Northwestern from an eight-point halftime deficit. Ty Berry also scored seven points in OT and finished with 21, and Ryan Langborg added 20 points.
The Wildcats (6-1, 1-0) became the seventh program since 2010-11 to beat a team ranked No. 1 in the AP poll in consecutive seasons. They topped the Boilermakers 64-58 on Feb. 12 for their first win against a No. 1 team.
Edey had 35 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots, but Purdue (7-1, 0-1) had no answer for Buie when it mattered most.
Moments after the final seconds ticked off, Edey & Co. trudged off the floor as students stormed the court at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Northwestern went ahead to stay on Berry’s two foul shots with 2:09 left in overtime. Blake Preston forced a key turnover by stepping in front of Edey, and Buie and Berry each made two free throws in the final seconds to help close it out.
PHOTOS: Buie stars as Northwestern tops Edey and No. 1 Purdue for 2nd straight season
Fletcher Loyer scored 17 points for Purdue, and Braden Smith had 12 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. The Boilermakers outrebounded the Wildcats 52-27 and went 31 for 41 at the line.
Buie got Northwestern back in the game after an uneven start. The fifth-year guard converted two three-point plays and made a turnaround jumper during an 8-1 run that lifted the Wildcats to a 48-47 lead with 14:54 to go.
That set up a tight, back-and-forth finish to regulation with neither team leading by more than three. Northwestern grabbed a 69-66 advantage on Luke Hunger’s tiebreaking 3 with 4:43 remaining, but Edey made two foul shots to tie it again at 70 with 3:52 to go.
Buie gave the Wildcats a 76-74 lead with a floater in the lane with 3.9 seconds left, but the 7-foot-4 Edey sent the game to OT when he grabbed Camden Heide’s well-placed lob and scored inside in the final seconds.
Purdue put together an early 12-2 run and led 40-32 at halftime. Edey had 14 points and eight boards at the break, and Loyer made two of the Boilermakers’ four 3-pointers in the first half.
BIG PICTURE
Purdue: This game was eerily similar to Purdue’s previous loss to Northwestern, when it led 55-47 with 3:52 left and stumbled down the stretch.
Northwestern: This one should provide a big confidence boost for the Wildcats, and a victory that will look quite good as they push for another NCAA Tournament berth later this season.
UP NEXT
Purdue: Hosts Iowa on Monday night.
Northwestern: Hosts Detroit Mercy on Dec. 10.
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