EVANSTON, Ill. — Zach Edey had 14 points and eight rebounds, and No. 5 Purdue moved into first place in the Big Ten with a rugged 70-64 victory over Northwestern.
Capping a stretch of eight games in 21 days, the Boilermakers shot 45% from the field and committed 14 turnovers in a sluggish performance. Purdue held the Wildcats to 35% shooting and controlled the glass with a 39-34 rebounding advantage.
Mason Gillis and Eric Hunter Jr. each scored 11 points as Purdue moved a half-game ahead of No. 12 Illinois for the top spot in the conference.
Robbie Beran had 13 points for Northwestern, and Pete Nance finished with 12.
Purdue is back home Sunday, Feb. 20, looking to avenge an upset loss to Rutgers that knocked the Boilermakers out of the No. 1 spot in the national polls on Dec. 9.
