WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. _ Wisconsin took the court at Mackey Arena with an opportunity to complete a difficult road sweep and stand alone atop the Big Ten Conference standings Sunday.
The 13th-ranked Badgers whiffed on the opportunity and at times looked nothing like a team capable of winning the league title.
UW shot poorly in the first half but stayed close because of Purdue mistakes, made a brief run and pulled within four points early in the second half but then struggled to get stops.
The result: No. 20 Purdue rolled to a relatively easy 66-55 victory.
UW (13-3, 2-1) saw its winning streak end at nine games and suffered its third consecutive loss to Purdue (14-3, 3-1).
The Boilermakers won both meetings last season. The rivals are scheduled to meet just once this season.
UW was the last Big Ten team to fall from the unbeaten ranks in league play.
Earlier Sunday, Nebraska (9-7, 3-1) suffered a 74-66 home loss to Northwestern.
Offense was an issue from the start for UW, which came in shooting 36.2 percent from 3-point range and 48.6 percent overall.
The Badgers missed their first six 3-point attempts and finished 2 of 14 from beyond the arc (14.3 percent).
They shot 34.5 percent overall in the first half (10 of 29) and finished at 39 percent (23 of 59).
Ethan Happ came in shooting 67.2 percent, the No. 1 mark in the Big Ten but struggled early against Purdue size inside. He made just 1 of his first 6 shots but came alive in the second half.
Happ scored six of UW's first 11 points of the second half and finished with 17 on 7-of-16 shooting. Happ added six steals, five rebounds and four assists.
Nigel Hayes made just 4 of 12 shots and finished with 10 points and five rebounds.
Bronson Koenig, UW's leading scorer at 14.1 points per game, was limited to eight field-goal attempts. He finished with nine points.
The Boilermakers shot 50 percent from 3-point range (3 of 6) and 52.6 percent overall (10 of 19) in building a 29-23 halftime lead. Their lead should have been bigger but they turned the ball over 11 times, just shy of their average of 12.9 per game.
UW scored seven points off those turnovers to stay within striking distance.
The Boilermakers cut down on their turnovers, committing seven after halftime, and scored from inside and outside to pull away.
Purdue, leading the Big Ten in 3-point shooting at 40.3 percent, shot 46.7 percent on Sunday (7 of 15). The Boilermakers shot 52.2 percent overall (24 of 46).
Caleb Swanigan led Purdue with 18 points and 13 rebounds, his eighth consecutive double-double. Isaac Haas added 13 points and five rebounds in just 18 minutes. Swanigan combined to make 11 of 16 shots and help Purdue win the rebound battle, 34-22.
Guards Ryan Cline (nine points) and P.J. Thompson (nine points) each scored seven points in the second half.
Vitto Brown went to the bench with his second foul with 9 minutes and 18 seconds left in the first half. Hayes joined him after getting his second foul, both charges, with 8:26 left. Brown spent the rest of the half on the bench but Hayes returned with 6:16 left.
Hayes hit 1 of 2 free throws and scored inside to help UW pull within 29-23 at the break.
Purdue twice led by 10 points _ 25-15 and 27-17 _ but UW made a late push.
Hayes' drive cut the deficit to 27-19 with 2:40 left and Happ scored consecutive baskets, the first after a steal, to cut the deficit to 29-23.
UW had a chance to pull closer after Swanigan missed a jumper but Happ was called for traveling with 2.2 seconds left.
The Badgers hit their first five field-goal attempts of the second half to pull within four points but missed a chance to pull closer and it cost them.
Freshman guard D'Mitrik Trice missed a lay-in _ after a steal by Happ _ with UW trailing by 40-36.
Thompson answered with a 3-pointer, off an offensive rebound by Haas.
After Happ missed inside, Cline hit a jumper for a 45-36 lead with 13:02 left.
The lead quickly grew to 12 after a UW timeout.
Alex Illikainen's entry pass was stolen and Ryan Cline got free for a 3-pointer and a 48-36 Purdue lead with 12:25 remaining. Purdue led by as many as 17 points. UW had no answers _ on either end of the court.
