By Pete DiPrimio, The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.) –
INDIANAPOLIS — Purdue couldn’t handle Ohio State’s 1-2 combination of Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas and lost, 88-71, in Friday night’s quarterfinal round of the Big Ten tournament.
Thomas had 22 points and seven rebounds. Sullinger had 30 points and 12 rebounds.
Purdue (21-12) was led by D.J. Byrd’s 20 points.
Purdue’s slow start saw it open 1-for-10 from the field and fall behind 13-3. Sullinger had eight of Ohio State’s points. Thomas had three.
The Boilers shot their way into a 24-24 tie. The Thomas-led Buckeyes scored seven straight points. Byrd continued his three-point success from the first Ohio State game, when he had seven and finished with 24 points, to keep Purdue within range.
Sullinger’s three-pointer gave Ohio State a 40-36 lead. He had 15 points and six rebounds. Thomas had 14 points (on 6-for-8 shooting) and four rebounds.
For Purdue, Byrd had 10 first-half points. Lewis Jackson had eight, plus seven assists, two steals and no turnovers.
Ohio State got physical to start the second half. Coach Matt Painter wanted fouls that weren’t called. When he protested too vigorously, he got hit with a technical foul. He continued to jaw at officials during a timeout and flirted with picking up a second technical.
The Buckeyes used that to surge ahead by nine. The Boilers battled back to within three.
They were still within four, at 65-61, when Ohio State’s 14-0 clinched its Saturday semifinal berth against Michigan.
