Big Ten basketball: No. 16 Purdue holds off Northwestern on Senior Day

The regular season Big Ten basketball champion Purdue Boilermakers survived several late pushes from Northwestern, winning 69-65, at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

The Boilermakers spoiled Senior Day for the Wildcats and proved why they are the regular season champions. Welsh-Ryan Arena was arguably the loudest it has ever been. Since Northwestern is on the verge of its first-ever NCAA Tournament bid and the stadium is closing for the next few years it was a raucous environment.

Both teams battled back and forth throughout the first half. Northwestern grabbed a lead as large as nine with 12:29 to play, but Purdue roared back within a few minutes. The first half ended in a 37-37 tie after seven total lead changes.

Both teams had nearly identical team stats and the free throws helped Purdue put the Wildcats away late. The Boilermakers made 89.5 percent of their free throws, converting 17 compared to Northwestern’s seven. The lack of trips to the line for the Wildcats hurt their chances to stay close in the second half.

Additionally, both teams shot 4-for-21 from behind the arc and also 16 assists and eight turnovers. The Wildcats edged the Boilermakers in rebounds, 34-31, and in shooting percentage, 45 percent to 44.4 percent.

Caleb Swanigan recorded his 25th double-double on the year, scoring 20 points and snagging 14 rebounds. Vincent Edwards led the Boilermakers in scoring with 25 points. Bryant McIntosh also scored 25 points for the Wildcats and had a game-high six assists.

Purdue already clinched the top seed overall but proved they can play well in any environment. They will get two byes before playing their first conference tournament game.

Next: 5 most underrated players in college basketball

Northwestern is playing with a ton of confidence right now and should feel good going into the Big Ten tournament. They are guaranteed a first round bye against a double-digit seed. Both teams are playing well to close out the season.