On Wednesday night, Chris Collins executed his ejection perfectly in a dramatic turn of events during Northwestern’s 105-96 overtime loss to No. 2 Purdue.
The wild ending in West Lafayette saw Collins storming onto the court and vehemently expressing his displeasure with official Courtney Green after Northwestern’s final shot attempt missed in the closing seconds.
Despite the buzzer sounding and the clock hitting zero, Green promptly ejected Collins from the game. Still fueled by frustration, Collins had to be restrained and escorted off the court by Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer.
Prior to his departure, Collins took a moment to congratulate Purdue coach Matt Painter, star player Zach Edey, and others. He then offered a final salute to the Boilermakers’ fans before exiting through the tunnel.
At the buzzer Chris Collins is T'd up and ejected from the game and there is time back on the clock pic.twitter.com/eGqWsdAa8n
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 1, 2024
In the subsequent overtime period, Purdue outscored Northwestern by nine points. The Boilermakers attempted 13 free throws compared to Northwestern’s three in the final five minutes. Zach Edey emerged as the game’s top scorer with 30 points, 10 of which were scored in overtime, along with 15 rebounds.
The free throw discrepancy observed in overtime was consistent throughout the entire game. Purdue took 46 free throws, while Northwestern attempted only eight as a team.
Addressing the officiating matter after the game, Collins commented, “I’m not gonna go into officiating. We have great officiating. I just don’t know if I’ve ever seen a box score like that … I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a disparity like that in a Big Ten game.”
With the win, Purdue extended their winning streak to six games, setting the stage for a crucial matchup against No. 6 Wisconsin on Sunday. The victory also served as redemption for Purdue, avenging their earlier loss to Northwestern in December. Northwestern’s season record now stands at 15-6.
Collins acknowledged Purdue’s credit, stating, “Obviously Purdue, give them all the credit. Obviously for them to go to the line 50 times and their aggressiveness. Their physicality makes it really hard.”
Next on the schedule for Northwestern is a Saturday afternoon game against Minnesota.
