Feb. 22, 2012
 
Hot Shooting Purdue Tops Huskers, 83-65
 
West Lafayette, Ind. — Robbie Hummel scored 18 of his game-high 29 points in the first half, as Purdue used a hot-shooting first half to down Nebraska, 83-65, Wednesday evening.

Hummel, the 6-foot-8 senior forward, hit 10-of-18 shooting from the floor and grabbing seven rebounds to lead five Purdue players in double figures. The Boilermakers (18-10, 8-7 Big Ten) shot 55 percent on the night, including 13-of-29 from 3-point range, and shot 63 percent in the first half to build a 17-point margin.

Purdue did most of its damage from long range, as Hummel went 4-of-10 from beyond the arc. D.J. Byrd hit went 5-of-8 from 3-point range while Ryne Smith added four 3-pointers, as the pair combined for all 27 of their points from 3-point range.

Bo Spencer led Nebraska (12-14, 4-11 Big Ten) with 19 points, hitting 8-of-14 shots from the floor, including a trio of 3-pointers, as Nebraska shot 52 percent from the floor and committed 10 turnovers.

 In the first half, Nebraska shot 48 percent from the floor, but was unable to slow down the Boilermaker attack, as Purdue shot 63 percent from the floor, including 7-of-15 from 3-point range, to build a 47-30 halftime lead. Hummel led the attack with 18 points in the half, hitting 7-of-10 from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, as he scored eight straight in a first-half run to give the host a double-digit lead.

Purdue came out and hit five of their first six shots from the field in building a 12-7 at the media timeout. Nebraska was within 17-12 following Brandon Richardson's second 3-pointer, but Hummel scored eight straight points for the Boilermakers to help Purdue build a 25-12 advantage.

The Huskers went to a zone and started chipping away, as a 3-point play from Dylan Talley and a basket by Mike Fox started a 10-4 run as Caleb Walker's basket made it 29-22 but Smith 3-pointer stemmed the run for the Boilermakers. The Huskers were within 34-25 but two Terone Johnson baskets highlighted a 6-0 spurt to push the lead back to 15 and eventually took a 17-point lead into the locker room.

Nebraska pulled to with 47-33 after a Spencer 3-pointer on the Huskers' first possession of the second half, but Purdue used an 8-0 run to build its largest lead of the night at the time at 55-33 after a Hummel 3-point play. 

Nebraska trailed 58-35 before Spencer hit a pair of jumpers to start an 11-2 run, as the Huskers whittled the lead to 61-46 after a Dylan Talley 3-pointer with 10:57 remaining.  Hummel then came up big for the hosts, hitting a 3-pointer to slow down the Husker run. Nebraska got to within 67-53 after a Spencer 3-pointer with 8:17 left, but a Johnson basket and a 3-pointer from Byrd quickly pushed the lead back to 19 points.

Nebraska made one last charge as Toney McCray keyed a 6-3 Husker spurt to pull within 75-59 with 3:13 left. NU forced a bad shot on Purdue's next possession, but were unable to get the rebound which Purdue capitalized into a Lewis Jackson basket to make it 77-61 and end NU's comeback hopes.

The Huskers return to action Saturday night at 7 p.m. central, as they take on No. 7 Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. The game will be carried across Nebraska on the Husker Sports Network and on Huskers.com, as well as broadcast nationally on BTN. Nebraska's final home game of the season is Feb. 29 against Iowa. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. (central).

Notes
• Purdue now leads the all-time series, 7-2, and has won the last three meetings.
• Purdue placed five players in double figures, the first time this season an opponent had five players in double figures
• Nebraska falls to 0-3 on the season when allowing 80 or more points.
• Purdue's 47 points matched the highest first-half total by a Husker opponent this season (Oregon on Nov. 23)
• Tonight is the third time this season that Brandon Richardson hit at least three 3-pointers (at USC, at Iowa)
• Robbie Hummel's 28 points were the second-highest total against Nebraska this season (Penn State's Tim Frazier had 30 on Jan. 11)
• Mike Fox's six points is a career high, marking the second straight game he has tied or set a career high.
• Bo Spencer is shooting 68 percent from the floor (17-of-25) in his last two games
• Nebraska shot 50 percent from the floor for the ninth time this season and the second straight game
• Christopher Niemann's basket in the second half was his first in Big Ten play and first since Nov. 20
• Brandon Richardson has at least five assists in each of NU's last three games and seven times in Big Ten action

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.