Big Ten brawl pits Boilermakers against Fighting Illini

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/08/2009 - Champaign, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 12th-ranked Purdue Boilermakers and the 23rd-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini meet for the 172nd time today, as they do battle in Big Ten play at Assembly Hall.

The Boilermakers come into the contest on a down note, as they were outlasted in overtime, 80-72, at Ohio State on Tuesday. It was the third overtime loss of the campaign by Purdue, which saw its six-game winning streak come to a close. With the loss, the Boilermakers were unable to keep pace with Michigan State for the top spot in the Big Ten standings, as they slipped to 6-3 within the conference.

Hot on the heels of Purdue is Illinois, which is also coming off a loss. On Thursday, the Illini was dealt a 63-50 setback at Wisconsin, dropping the team to 6-4 within the conference. Illinois, though, has a good chance of rebounding at home today, as it owns a 12-1 mark at Assembly Hall, including nine straight wins.

In a series that dates back to 1906, it is Purdue that holds an 88-83 edge over the Illini. Earlier this season however, Illinois nipped the Boilermakers, 71-67, in overtime in the conference opener for both teams.

The Boilermakers' success can be attributed to their tenacious defense, as they are holding opponents to only 58.5 ppg and a mere 37.0 percent shooting from the field. Offensively, E'Twaun Moore leads Purdue with 14.0 ppg and he is also grabbing 4.7 rpg and dishing out 3.0 apg. JaJuan Johnson ranks second on the squad with both 13.3 ppg and 5.7 rpg, while Robbie Hummel checks in with 12.9 ppg and a team-high 7.5 rpg. On Tuesday, Johnson poured in a career- high 30 points, but it still wasn't enough for Purdue in an overtime loss at Ohio State. The Boilermakers played that game without Hummel, who has a hairline fracture in his back. Hummel was available, but never came off the bench and is listed as questionable for today's bout. Without the services of their leading rebounder, the Boilermakers were dominated on the boards 36-19 and outscored in the paint, 38-30, by Ohio State.

Much like Purdue, Illinois has made a name for itself with tough defense and is limiting foes to just 56.9 ppg and only 39.7 percent shooting from the floor. Demetri McCamey paces the Illini at the other end of the floor, as he turns in 12.0 ppg and 5.0 apg. Mike Tisdale follows closely with 11.2 ppg, and Mike Davis adds 10.5 ppg and a team-high 7.4 rpg to the mix. Trent Meacham rounds out the double-figure scorers with 10.3 ppg and he is shooting 40.9 percent from long distance. On Thursday, the Illini simply could not find its stroke, hitting on just 32.8 percent from the floor in a loss at Wisconsin. The team was also outdone from beyond the arc, as it went just 4-of-21 compared to a much better 9-of-20 showing by the Badgers. Davis guided Illinois in defeat with a double-double of 14 points and 11 boards, while McCamey had 12 points and four assists.

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