CHICAGO (Interstat) — Purdue used a dominant first half to secure an 81-68 victory over Northwestern in a Big Ten Conference men’s basketball game Thursday at United Center.

The Boilermakers built a 45-21 halftime lead and withstood a stronger second-half push from the Wildcats. Northwestern outscored Purdue 47-36 after halftime but could not overcome the large early deficit.

With the win, Purdue improved its season record to 24-8. Northwestern fell to 15-19. The Boilermakers swept the two-game regular-season series, having also defeated the Wildcats 70-66 on March 4.