Among the 8,117 people gathered at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Sunday afternoon, there were several who’ve witnessed their fair share of Northwestern losses in Evanston firsthand.
Between the dozens of program alumni in attendance, to the lifelong fans, to seniors Sanjay Lumpkin and Nathan Taphorn, and even former Purdue player and current coach Matt Painter, a Northwestern loss in Welsh-Ryan Arena is nothing new.
But even though Painter’s Boilermakers defeated the Wildcats 69-65 in their final game of the regular season, nothing about the game, or the team in white and purple, is familiar.
One big difference about this game and similar ones in the past?