The Boilers were in their Sunday Best gold unis for this evening's Big Ten Title match. Illinois however, committing a vile fashion faux pas uglier than their 10-2 starting deficit, was wearing the exact same thing they wore yesterday. oh. em. jee. To their credit, they are a nine seed, and probably did not anticipate playing this many games.
The Illini surged past their early struggles for a tie, but turnovers and the weight of their soggy recycled apparel allowed Purdue to go on another scoring tear, leading 18-12.
And yet, in the closing minutes of the half, Illinois settled in offensively, exchanging their steady diet of turnovers for lights-out shooting, en route to a halftime lead, 30-28.
Part 1 of the second half was traded layups and free throw attempts-- both squads cooled off their perimeter shooting. FahKara "Mugsy" Malone of Purdue sidestepped into a three point shot that fell a solid three feet to the front left of the basket. It is quite possibly the most horrific field goal attempt I've seen in my entire life.
As if talent, athleticism, experience, fatigue, size, and history weren't enough for Illinois to have to overcome, the supposedly neutral court was decidedly rallying behind Purdue. A spackling of Indy-native black and gold clad alumni and students home for spring break were scattered about the limited sections of the fieldhouse not occupied by media, musicians, or cheerleaders, and their presence was overwhelming to the couple hundred admirable delegates of the Crush.
With 2:52 left and the Big Ten Championship on the line, the score is 56-56, with the Bears in the lead (Ferris Bueler...no?...ok.) The ball successfully avoided either net until the final buzzer, and score held until the last Purdue possession.
With thirty seconds left, Mugsy Malone took the ball out of the backcourt, and ran down 26 seconds before driving, slashing, and ferociously cutting her way into the lane, through four defenders and all probability! She lept upward gracefully to the hoop ANNNND......her shot was rejected, and piddled out of bounds like a dying pigeon.
But the inbounds pass came to a wide open Lakisha Freeman, who put up a soft 6 foot jumper, and as it hung mid-flight, the horn sounded, the neon outline of the backboard glowed a funereal red, and the ball splashed through the net. Purdue wins on a last second jump shot.
It took an anticlimactic 1:30 for the officials to review the basket before the shot was validated, but with the referee's eventual decisive downward slashing of her right arm, Conseco erupted for the home team.
Purdue has now won the Women's Big Ten Tournament as many times as every other team in the conference COMBINED. Cripes.
