Big Ten tournament: Northwestern can't handle Purdue in 81-68 third-round loss

Beating lowly Penn State was one thing. Getting the better of Indiana was something to feel pretty good about.

But going up against taller, more talented, just plain better Purdue was another matter altogether for Northwestern, which lost to the Boilermakers 81-68 in the third round of the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament at the United Center.

That’s all she wrote for the Wildcats, who finished with a win total — only 15 in 34 games — that matched their No. 15 tournament seed.

“It’s tough to be at the end of the road for us, man,” coach Chris Collins said. “It always sucks. It always sucks. You’re in the fight, you’re in the fight, and then it’s over.”

It wasn’t much of a fight in this one until it was too late. Perhaps weary from their first two games, the Wildcats were dropped to the canvas early and trailed 45-21 at the half. For what it’s worth, they outscored the Boilermakers 47-36 in the second half.

Collins watched senior Nick Martinelli, one of the best players he’s had in 13 years atop the program, go out with 25 points in 39 minutes, bringing his school single-season scoring record to 759 points.

“Hopefully every person who played with me, they just knew a guy who worked relentlessly,” Martinelli said.

The Wildcats had no answers for Boilers big men Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff, who scored 19 each and missed only four shots between them, or the elite playmaking of point guard Braden Smith, who piled up 16 assists.

Seventh-seeded Purdue (24-8) will meet second-seeded Nebraska on Friday.