Purdue finishes strong, beats IPFW 63-43

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue dominated the first half Monday night, and then pulled away at the end for a 63-43 victory against in-state rival IPFW.

Having been shocked on Saturday in a 73-70 home loss to North Florida, the Boilermakers (7-2) bounced back with a 35-19 halftime lead against the Mastodons (5-3) and finished the game with a 19-6 burst after IPFW crawled within seven.

Kendall Stephens and A.J. Hammons led Purdue with 13 points each, and Isaac Haas added 10, all in the first half.

After leading by as many as 21 during the first half, Purdue allowed IPFW within 44-37 on a Steve Forbes dunk with 10:28 to play.

Dakota Mathias countered with a 3-pointer at 9:43, and Vince Edwards added a layup at 9:04 to push the Boilermaker to a more comfortable 49-37.