Big Ten basketball roundup: Illini drop heartbreaker, Purdue wins big

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A roundup of Big Ten basketball action from Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015:

Providence 60, Illinois 59

A second-half comeback was for naught as the Illini blew two straight point-blank chances with time running out to fall at Providence. Down by just a point, Malcolm Hill missed a layup, and Michael Finke missed a put-back dunk as time ran out. Hill, Finke and Jalen Coleman-Lands figured big in the second half, and all three finished in double figures. But foul trouble buried the Illini, with starting big men Mike Thorne Jr. and Leron Black playing a combined 17 minutes and picking up a combined nine fouls.

[MORE BIG TEN: Illini miss point-blank chances in final seconds, fall at Providence]

Northwestern 79, Fairfield 72

The Cats let a 16-point second-half lead get all the way down to three, but late work by Bryant McIntosh allowed for a survival of a win. McIntosh scored five straight points to turn a three-point edge into an eight-point one in the final minutes, and the sophomore finished with 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals, while three other Northwestern players scored in double figures.

[SHOP BIG TEN: Get your Northwestern gear right here]

Purdue 96, Incarnate Word 61

The Boilers shot a sizzling 59.6 percent from the field and held the Cardinals to just 28.4-percent shooting on the night in this runaway. Five Purdue players scored in double figures, with Isaac Haas recording a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds and Kendall Stephens a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point range off the bench. The Boilers have averaged 94.7 points in their three season-opening wins, and Caleb Swanigan is averaging 11.7 points and 10 rebounds three games into his college career.

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