March 20, 2013
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A.J. Hammons scored 15 points to lead four Boilermakers in double figures and the Purdue men's basketball team downed Western Illinois, 81-67, on Wednesday in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational.
The win advances Purdue to a quarterfinal matchup with Santa Clara on Monday at 7 p.m. ET. Click here for ticket information.
Purdue shot 58.5 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from three-point territory, getting 14 points from Ronnie Johnson and a dozen from Rapheal Davis as the team's freshmen scored nearly 60 percent of its points. Terone Johnson added 10 on the night.
Purdue scored 40 of its 81 points in the paint on Wednesday night.
The Boilermakers closed the first half on a 25-9 run after falling into a 25-16 deficit and led 37-34 at halftime. Playing its first-ever CBI game, Purdue came out of the locker room on fire, connecting on 16-of-25 (.640) shots from the floor to pull away from WIU.
Senior Dru Anthrop had a night to remember on Wednesday, finishing with a career-high four points and leading Purdue with a career-best six rebounds. He also set a career high with four assists and notched a game-high three steals in 24 minutes of action.
Davis chipped in five rebounds, and Terone and Ronnie Johnson finished the night with five and four assists, respectively, to lead Purdue.
Purdue bested Western Illinois on the glass by a 29-21 margin, marking the fourth game in a row in which the Boilers have been positive on the glass.
Wednesday's win was Matt Painter's 176th as the Boilermakers' head coach, tying him with Ray Eddy for third on the program's coaching victories chart.