Illinois 88 Purdue 82
Keaton Wagler’s record performance leads Illinois to upset of Purdue
Illinois came to Mackey Arena on a hot 8-game winning streak thanks to strong 3-point shooting. They continued Saturday by hitting a whopping 18 threes to beat #4 ranked Purdue.
Freshman star, Keaton Wagler, led the three-point barage, shooting 6-8 from three in the first half and finishing the game with a record 9 three’s and 46 total points. Wagler’s 46 points doubled his previous career high and was the most points points scored in a single game by an opponent in Mackey Arena history.
Purdue held its own in the first half, shooting 63% and led for almost 19 of the 20 first-half minutes. Purdue led 43-39 at half, but Illinois surged out with a 7-0 run to start the second half. The game continued to go back and forth the rest of the second half, but Illinois put Purdue away in the final minutes, hitting 4 straight threes.
Key Stats
Illinois took 38 three point shots, hitting 18. In the last two games Illinois has made 33 threes off of 78 attempts.
Illinois dominated in offensive rebounds (13-3) and 2nd-chance points (18-2).
Purdue won the turnover battle, committing 3 turnovers to Illinois’ 10. They also outshot Illinois 57% to 48%. But the 3-point shooting and 2nd-chance points were too much to overcome.
14 lead changes. All but one were in the second half.
Key Individual Performances
Illinois was led by Keaton Wagler with 46 points, including 9 threes. Wagler’s 46 points was the 10th highest individual scoring performance in NCAA history.
Purdue was led by Braden Smith with 27 points, 12 assists.
Purdue’s Omer Meyer added 11 points, including 3 three’s.
Oscar Cluff scored 9 points and surpassed 1000 points in his career, 233 of which have occurred at Purdue.
What it means
Illinois continued to play at a high level without senior guard Kylan Boswell, who remains out with a fractured hand.
Illinois entered the game a current projected three seed. They likely elevated themselves into the 2-seed range.
Keaton Wagler, despite being a 4-star recruit, has likely elevated himself as an NBA lottery pick.
Fletcher Loyer’s shooting slump continued and finally started to affect his playing minutes. Loyer shot 1-5 and only played 20 minutes. Loyer’s ability to get out of his slump will be critical for Purdue’s post-season success chances.
Quotes
Purdue head coach Matt Painter, speaking about Keaton Wagler, “That probably was one of the most impressive performances if not the most impressive performance we’ve had at Mackey Arena from an opponent.”
More from coach Painter on Illinois’ offensive rebounding, “Even though he (Wagler) gets 46 points, that’s the game. You get outrebounded by 14, and there lies the difference. Their ability to rebound was the difference of the game.”
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