Haas Leads Purdue Past Northwestern 74-69
#BoilerNotes
• Purdue improved to 128-46 all-time against Northwestern, having won five straight games against the Wildcats … the 128 wins are the most against a single opponent … Purdue is 41-5 all-time against Northwestern at Mackey Arena.
• Purdue is 2-0 in Big Ten play for the first time since 2014-15 and the fifth time in Painter’s 13 years at Purdue … in each of the last two years, Purdue lost home games in Big Ten game No. 2 on the season (Iowa in 2015-16; Minnesota in 2016-17).
• Purdue head coach Matt Painter won his 298th career game and is now 273-144 in 13 years at Purdue.
• Purdue won its 12th game in a row at Mackey Arena, the 11th-longest streak nationally … Purdue is 5-0 at Mackey Arena this year and has won eight straight games against Big Ten foes in Mackey Arena.
• Purdue improved to 17-4 since the start of last year against teams from the state of Indiana and bordering states.
• Purdue’s 37 wins at home since the start of the 2015-16 season are now tied for the seventh most nationally … Purdue is 37-3 at home since the start of 2015-16.
• Purdue improved to 7-0 this year and 24-2 since the start of last year when shooting 48.0 percent or better … Purdue shot 49.1 percent in the victory.
• Purdue’s seven turnovers were its fewest in a Big Ten game since having four against Rutgers on Jan. 18, 2016.
• Isaac Haas scored a career-high 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting … he added nine rebounds and was 10-of-14 from the free throw line … Haas moved past Carl Landry into 33rd on the career scoring list … over the last two games, Haas is averaging 23.5 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 18-of-26 (.692) from the field.
• Matt Haarms blocked four shots to give him 32 on the season … Haarms becomes the first freshman to have five games of four or more blocked shots in a season (A.J. Hammons — 4) … Haarms has 16 blocked shots in the last four games, a total of 67 minutes played.
• Ryan Cline broke out of a slump with 13 points and two assists … Cline was 3-of-4 from 3-point range … the Boilermakers are now 34-4 all-time when Cline dishes out at least two assists in a game.
• Vincent Edwards tallied 12 points and eight rebounds … he has now scored in double-figures in all 10 games this season.
• Dakota Mathias is averaging 16.5 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds over the last four games … he is shooting 12-of-25 (.480) from 3-point range in that span.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) Isaac Haas is starting to become a pain for opposing teams.
He followed up Friday’s Big Ten opener at Maryland scoring 26 points, including the go ahead basket with under a minute to play, to lead the Purdue Boilermakers to a 74-69 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats on Sunday.
There were 12 ties and 13 leads changes, Hass providing the last one as the Boilermakers scored the last seven points in this intense game between two teams that were both ranked in the Top 25 at the start of the season.
”The last two games he’s been huge for us,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. ”I thought the Maryland game he made good decisions at the end, even after they came after him. His ability to kind of close out the game and make plays, any miss there down the stretch probably would have cost us the game. He was either able to get fouled or make a play.”
Haas finished 8-of-13 shooting, and 10 of 14 from the free throw line and had nine rebounds. Ryan Cline added 13 points, and Vincent Edwards had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Boilermakers (7-2, 2-0 Big Ten), who have won four straight.
It was a physically game, too, but not called as evenly as Northwestern head coach Chris Collins would have liked. Purdue was 16 of 24 from the free throw line. The Wildcats only made five attempts from the line and scored on three.
”I have to make it quick,” Collins said in his press conference following the game. ”Dererk Pardon’s getting stitches for Haas putting his elbow in his face, so, I gotta get back there. But (we) only shot three free throws.”
Pardon had 20 points and eight rebounds, Scottie Lindsey had 17 points and Vic Law finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Wildcats (5-4, 1-1), who have lost two of three games.
When asked if he were joking about Pardon getting stitches, Collins said, ”No he’s bleeding. Haas made a post move and put his elbow right through his mouth. I guess we didn’t want to check the monitor for that one.”
Team officials later said Pardon did not receive stitches.
Haas’ basket with 44 seconds to play gave Purdue a 71-69 lead after he tied the game at 69 and Edwards grabbed a steal with a minute to go.
BIG PICTURE
Northwestern: The Wildcats have lost five straight to the Boilermakers in the only meeting between the two teams this season, but can get back on track with two of the next three games at home.
Purdue: The Boilermakers are now 2-0 after two early games in league play to cap off a big week which also included a win over Louisville.
PHYSICAL PLAY
Collins also said Purdue is the most physical team in the Big Ten, a claim that Painter wasn’t sure he agreed with, and one that Edwards said he wanted to make sure Purdue’s coaches knew.
”Make sure you tell our coaches that so they’ll get off our backs about it,” Edwards joked. ”Tell Chris (Collins) that we appreciate you, Coach.”
UP NEXT
Northwestern is off for a week and will host Chicago State next Monday.
Purdue will host in-state opponent Valparaiso on Thursday.