BIG TEN ROUNDUP Saturday’s games

No. 16 Purdue 68, Northwestern 43

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Rarely does a coach preach the value of a player who had one field goal in a 25-point victory. Purdue’s Matt Painter gladly did just that for Chris Kramer on Saturday. The sophomore captain had six steals and three assists, and Purdue beat Northwestern to move into a tie with Wisconsin for first place in the Big Ten. Kramer’s steals all came in the first half when Purdue couldn’t shoot straight. Northwestern led for most of the half, but Purdue finally pulled ahead on a 3-pointer by Marcus Green with 2:13 left that made it 24-23. With the score 24-23, Northwestern had a chance to take the lead at halftime, but Kramer blocked Nikola Baran’s 3-point attempt as time expired. “Getting six steals in a half, in a possession-type game — it’s amazing,” Painter said. “He’s a very good player. He’s the best defensive player in our league.” Purdue shot 62 percent in the second half to pull away. When Kramer left the game with 5:27 to play, the crowd was nearly silent. Kramer guarded Northwestern’s Craig Moore, who scored 25 points and made eight 3-pointers in the Wildcats’ win over Michigan on Tuesday. Kramer held him to eight points on 3-for-6 shooting.

Associated Press