Zach Edey, Mason Gillis help No. 5 Purdue knock off Northwestern

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Purdue looked a little tired. Jaden Ivey struggled. Same for Trevion Williams.

Fortunately, the Boilermakers have one of college basketball's deepest rosters.

Zach Edey had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Purdue moved into first place in the Big Ten with a 70-64 victory over Northwestern on Wednesday night.

Capping a stretch of eight games in 21 days, the Boilermakers (23-4, 12-4) shot 45% from the field and committed 14 turnovers in a rugged performance by one of the country's most efficient teams. But they held the Wildcats to 35% shooting and controlled the glass with a 39-34 rebounding advantage.

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Purdue center Zach Edey, center, goes up for a shot against Northwestern forward Robbie Beran, left, and forward Pete Nance during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Evanston, Ill., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Mason Gillis and Eric Hunter Jr. each scored 11 points as Purdue moved a half-game ahead of No. 12 Illinois for the top spot in the conference. The Boilermakers swept their season series against the Illini.

"We got 10 guys that can go on a minute's notice, so it's always the next man up mentality," Gillis said.

After watching his team get its eighth win in nine games, coach Matt Painter acknowledged the toll the stretch had on his Boilermakers.

"It catches up to you. You just don't talk about it as a coach," he said. "You try to do things to help them. You know, have shorter practices, challenge them, try to keep them on edge. ... It's not all physical. The mental piece is so important."

Robbie Beran had 13 points for Northwestern (12-12, 5-10), and