Filed under: Ohio State, Purdue, Big Ten
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) -- E'Twaun Moore seemingly toyed with Ohio State.Whether he was knocking down one of his seven 3-pointers, making an acrobatic layup or draining a jumper in the closing seconds of the first half, the senior guard seemed at ease. He scored a career-high 38 points to help No. 11 Purdue beat No. 2 Ohio State 76-63 on Sunday.
His teammates saw it coming.
"I know once he gets that rhythm going and steps back and hits a 3 and once he smiles, you know he has it going," guard Lewis Jackson said. "E'Twaun, he may put his fingers up and tell you he hit a 3-pointer, but he rarely smiles. Once he smiles, he's in a zone, and you probably won't stop him that night."
Purdue (22-5, 11-3 Big Ten) has had much to smile about in the past week. The Boilermakers defeated No. 10 Wisconsin on Wednesday, and their two wins over Top 10 teams brought them within a game of the Buckeyes (25-2, 12-2) for the conference lead with four games to play.
Purdue's win capped a week that saw the top four teams in the AP Top 25 lose a game. With losses in the past week by No. 1 Kansas, No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Pittsburgh, the Buckeyes entered the game in line to reclaim the No. 1 ranking they dropped after losing at Wisconsin on Feb. 12.
Ohio State coach Thad Matta knew his team was playing in a rough stretch, and he expected challenges.
"We've got to continue to keep our focus," he said. "Our guys know we have to play better basketball and we have to get them ready to do that."
Ohio State center Jared Sullinger, who scored 25 points, said this game was nothing like Ohio State's 87-64 win over Purdue on Jan. 25.
Source: http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2011/02/20/etwaun-moore-purdue-knock-off-ohio-state/
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