“These guys need a win.” - NU Coach Carmody from a postgame radio interview

Northwestern faced off against the best team in the Big Ten saturday afternoon, and almost - in a Northwestern sense - managed to sneak away with their first Big Ten win. Coach Bill Carmody deserves credit for not letting his kids give up.

The story of the first half was Northwestern playing their best half of the season, facing up against East Chicago native E'Twaun Moore. With 16 first half points on 7-10 shooting, if not for his hot hand, Purdue well could of been down by double-digits at the half-way point.

Before the game began, there was a thunderous roar when the team ran out onto the floor. Unfortunately, the players wear wearing black and gold. Chicagoland Purdue fans packed the stadium, and literally an entire half of the stadium is filled with Boilermakers.

The 'Cats shut them up real quick with their hot start. Their high-pressure trapping D tipped a pass before forcing Purdue into a bad three with the shot clock running down. The Wildcats defense was excellent for the entire half. I had trouble understanding why Purdue was so highly regarded as I watched them struggle, throwing high passes around the perimiter with no rhyme or reason. The 'Cats caused seven Boiler turnovers in the first 20 minutes, and Purdue had very few good scoring chances.

On the offensive end, Ivan Peljusic was starting his second game in a row, but you wouldn't know it if you watched him chuck up shots as if he were Evan Eschmeyer. He scored with a running bank shot off the window on the 'Cats first possession, and didn't stop there. He took shots on two of the next three possessions, and even got his own offensive rebound off one miss. He then assisted on a Thompson three, also setting the screen to get Juice open, before another layup to make it 9-6.

I couldn't understand what Carmody was doing with his squad playing so well, but he made 3 quick substitutions, taking Ivan, Sterling Williams and Kevin Coble off the floor. Apparently Carmody knows at least one thing I don't. Not skipping a beat after replacing Ivan, forward/center Nikola Baron had eight points in the half, including two threes.

As the half drew to a close, Moore made back-to-back huge threes to give Purdue a slight lead, one of which was with Craig Moore's suffocating defense all over him, and Moore's hand only inches from his face. The 'Cats then responed missing three straight free throws, before a Coble layup to leave the half down by four.

The second half started off where the first left off. Ivan taking shots and making more than you'd think. Attempting the team's first shot of the second, spotted by the eagle eyes of Craig Moore wide-open under the basket ... Ivan missed a layup. Displaying a mysterious confidence, the next time he got the ball at the top of the key, he did a studder step, before taking his man off the dribble all the way to the hoop for two.

Purdue's first half trend contiunued with more Moore. In the first few minutes, he made another pair of threes. Big Ten player of the week and #20 in the nation in Offensive Rating [a] Robbie Hummel continued to struggle. He missed another three and a layup. The rest of the squad started to find their stroke; however, and after a string of NU misses had built a ten point lead.

Thankfully for the Purple, they have more Moore of their own. He made a three to bring them within seven and Kevin Coble took care of the rest. Following a steal by struggling senior Jason Okresik, Coble made a runner. The subsequent Wildcat scores were a Coble layup, Nash breakaway layup assisted by Coble and a three by Kevin to give NU a one point lead.

At the same moment a bomb was dropped in the NU fan section and the roar was deafening. When the 'Cats almost then stole the ball the cries were deafening.

Unfortunately they didn't steal it, and ended up fouling instead. One made free throw tied the game. Then all of a sudden, Keaton grant remembered he could shoot, and made back-to-back threes. A Jeremy Nash BS technical and a layup by Hummel later, Purdue's back up by ten.

By the time Moore hit his next three, the team from West Lafeyette was up by 15.

It was another loss by the 'Cats, but not one to hang their heads about. Had it not been fore the uncanny shooting of E'Twaun Moore, the 'Cats could've gone up big in the first and coasted to their first Big Ten victory. It was also the first time in a Big Ten game that I've seen them come back from ten down in the second half to tie the game.

Moral victories and progress. Go U NU.

Final Score: Purdue 71 - Northwestern 56

More Stories from CS Sports Columnists Charlie Danoff

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