With 1:10 left on the clock, Purdue's D.J Byrd hit a basket to give the Boilermakers a 59-58 advantage, after that it was all downhill for Purdue.
Wisconsin's Ryan Evans decided to take control hitting a jumper with 50 seconds left to give the Badgers the lead, and they would never look back. Later, he added a defensive play that probably sealed the game.
The Boilermakers were down 27-19 at the half. They opened the second half on a great 12-2 run, in what seemed like they couldn't miss.
Wisconsin had their largest lead at eight, while Purdue had it's largest lead at seven. This was a game of rallies, it was essentially whoever rallied last and went on a run would win.
Wisconsin's Jon Leuer scored 24 points and had 13 rebounds. Jordan Taylor had 15 points and seven rebounds.
For Purdue, JaJuan Johnson had 23 points while E'Twaun Moore had 15. D.J Byrd and Ryne Smith had some key three's down the stretch. Byrd finished with 11 points and Smith finished with six.
Overall, Purdue shouldn't be two hard on theirselves. Defensively, they could have done better at the end of the game and this proves their ability to win close games isn't there right now, but it is only natural for the home team to win in this case.
I will say the refs weren't all that great last night, but you Purdue had a chance to win it down the stretch.
Wisconsin remains undefeated at home and gets a good win for their NCAA resume.
It should be a great rematch when these two teams come together at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana on February 16th.
Next up for Purdue is Indiana, their arch-rival, on February 8th. Essentially, Indiana should have no chance in this game, with all of their injuries as of late. It is at Mackey, so look for Purdue to take control early.
Next up for Wisconsin is Michigan State at home on February 6th. Wisconsin should handle them fairly easily at home, as they are struggling.