Unranked Northwestern stuns Purdue, ends 0-18 streak against No. 1 teams

Prior to Sunday, Northwestern was 0-18 all-time against No. 1 teams.

Make that 1-18.

The unranked Wildcats stunned No. 1 Purdue at home on Sunday, 64-58, sending the Boilermakers to their second loss in three games. The Wildcats rallied from a 37-30 halftime deficit to secure the win and improve their standing as an unexpected contender for the NCAA tournament field. The upset sent a frenzied Welsh-Ryan Arena crowd pouring onto the court at the final buzzer.

Senior guard Boo Buie led the charge with 26 points, four rebounds and three assists as the Wildcats overcame a 24-point, eight-rebound effort from Purdue's National Player of the Year candidate Zach Edey.

"It's awesome," Bui told Big Ten Network after the game. "It took one hell of a game. Super proud, super proud of our guys. ... It's time for folks to start waking up."

Northwestern's defense set the tone while forcing the Boilermakers into 16 turnovers and holding them to 36.2% shooting from the floor and 22.7% from 3-point distance. The effort allowed the Wildcats to overcome their own 4-of-22 (18.2%) performance from 3-point distance.

What upset means for both teams

A Northwestern team that wasn't expected to contend this season improved to 18-7 (9-5, Big Ten) and picked up a signature win for its NCAA tournament résumé. Purdue falls to 23-3 (12-3, Big Ten) and will see its No. 1 ranking in jeopardy.

The Boilermakers kept their top ranking after last Saturday's road loss to Indiana. They'll maintain their status as a projected No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but Sunday's loss opens the door for No. 2 Houston and No. 3 Alabama to move up in the polls.