Purdue dominated Gonzaga in the second half for the majority of the game.
Despite a poor shooting performance in the first half, Purdue went 17-for-30 from the floor to outscore Gonzaga 51-38 in the final period.
Drew Timme scored 22 points on the losing effort as one of two double-digit players. Nolan Hickman managed 15 points, and Rasir Bolton contributed 11.
Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer combined for 14 points in the Boilermakers' win over Illinois. They'll take on Duke in the final game at PK85 Legacy, an intended matchup on Sunday.
Neither team had any momentum throughout the game, yet they still managed to pull out a dominant win in overtime.
The Boilermakers could only muster a measly field goal percentage during the first half against West Virginia. They missed seven of their nine 3-pointers, and their shots from beyond the arc were off.
The Zags were lucky to find an early lead in the game, but by the end of the first half, SMC had tied it up with five minutes left.
It was part of a 9-0 run to give Purdue its first-game lead and a spark to take control.
A three-point shot by Trey Kaufman-Renn made the largest lead of the half at eight as the Zags' offense was stuck in neutral down the stretch.
"I think us being a little flat impacted the defense," Timme said. "If we just do the basics, it's a completely different game."