Illini never lead in game as they lose to Purdue
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Trey Kaufman-Renn scored a season-high 23 points, Lance Smith added 17 and top-ranked Purdue held off a late charge to beat No. 9 Illinois 83-78 on Friday night.
The Boilermakers (14-1, 3-1 Big Ten) extended their winning streak to seven games by winning the first top-10 matchup at Mackey Arena since Jan. 1, 2010.
Reigning national player of the year Zach Edey had 10 points and 15 rebounds, becoming the second Purdue player with 1,000 career boards. Only Joe Barry Carroll has more than Edey's 1,006.
Marcus Domask had 26 points and Quincy Guerrier finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Fighting Illini (11-3, 2-1), who had won four in a row. They lost for the first time since top scorer Terrence Shannon Jr. was suspended after being charged with rape in Douglass County, Kansas.
The Illini dropped to 0-9 against No. 1 teams on the road and never led in this one.
But after falling behind 20-4 and trailing by 21 with about 13 minutes left, Illinois made it interesting with Edey in foul trouble. The Illini methodically trimmed Purdue's lead, closing to 81-78 on Coleman Hawkins' 3-pointer with 12.1 seconds to go.
Braden Smith sealed the win with two free throws.
BIG PICTURE
Illinois: Mackey Arena has been a house of horrors for the Illini. That was still the case — even after they came in having topped 90 points in three straight games for the first time since December 1993. Illinois is 3-16 on the road when Purdue is ranked and 1-5 when both teams are in the top 10.
Purdue: Coach Matt Painter's team entered ranked No. 1 for good reason — the Boilermakers had three wins against top-10 foes. Adding a fourth Friday night matched the 2009-11 teams for the best 50-game stretch (43-7) in school history.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Illinois: Coach Brad Underwood's team will slide. How far will be determined by what happens around the country this weekend.
Purdue: The Boilermakers appear poised for a fourth consecutive week atop the rankings. They already had the longest active streak of consecutive weeks in the top five (25), and it's the second-longest streak by a Big Ten team in 45 years.
UP NEXT
Illinois: Hosts Michigan State on Thursday.
Purdue: Visits Nebraska on Tuesday.
