Purdue Pulls Away From Illinois State for First Win

Purdue earned its first victory of the season with a 76-59 win over Illinois State in West Lafayette on November 9. Daniel Jacobsen led the Boilermakers with 20 points, while Antione West Jr. added 17, Jack Benter scored 14 and C.J. Cox had 10. Purdue improved to 1-2 after opening the season with losses to Gonzaga and Valparaiso.

Purdue never trailed and shot 56.5% from the field, making 26 of 46 attempts. The team also hit eight of 19 three-pointers, after making just 10 of 49 from long range in its first two games. Illinois State, which entered the game shooting better than 50% from three, made five of 25 attempts from beyond the arc.

The Redbirds closed to 50-48 on two Noah Cleveland free throws with 8:55 remaining. Purdue responded with a 17-0 run to take control. A key stretch included Benter’s three-pointer after a steal, followed by Jacobsen’s put-back dunk. Benter finished with five rebounds and three assists, and was a team-best plus-24. West, who moved into the starting lineup at point guard, made seven of 11 shots.

Jacobsen scored 10 points in the first half and reached 20 for the third straight game. Illinois State’s Johnny Kinziger and Cleveland scored 12 points apiece. Illinois State is scheduled to play at North Dakota State on Friday, while Purdue is set to host Ohio that night.