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11/20 Big Ten Recap: Purdue Handles UNC

Recap all the Big Ten action from Saturday.

NCAA Basketball: North Carolina at Purdue Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Most of Saturday’s attention was dedicated to the gridiron for the Big Ten, but there were two games for the conference on the hardwood as well. Purdue faced off against North Carolina and Michigan State hosted Eastern Michigan.

Let’s take a look at what happened.

Game of the Night:

-No. 6 Purdue Boilermakers 93, No. 18 North Carolina Tar Heels 84

After three dominating wins against overmatched competition to start the season, Purdue finally got its first real test on Saturday. Fortunately for fans, the Boilermakers passed with flying colors. Purdue had a six-point lead at halftime and eventually went on to grab a nine-point win over a ranked North Carolina team.

The star of the night was Jaden Ivey, who finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Sasha Stefanovic also had 23 points and eight assists. Notably, Purdue shot an exceptional 43.5 percent from three and finished 1.21 points per possession. It was an offensive clinic for large portions of the game.

With the win, Purdue now sits at 4-0 overall and will get Villanova on Sunday in a continuation of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off. The Wildcats are 3-1 and ranked eighth nationally by KenPom. It figures to have a Sweet 16 feel in November. Buckle up.

The Rest:

-Michigan State Spartans 83, Eastern Michigan Eagles 59

The Spartans might have gotten manhandled on the gridiron, but they certainly weren’t on the hardwood. Michigan State scored an easy win against an underwhelming Eastern Michigan squad on Saturday, cruising to an 83-59 win. Marcus Bingham led the way with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Malik Hall also had 15 points.

Michigan State improved to 3-1 with the win and rose all the way to 18th nationally on KenPom as of when this article was written. The Spartans will now get a few days off before heading to Atlantis where they will open up against Loyola (Chicago). There’s little debating Michigan State will get some intriguing games there.