EVANSTON-Northwestern was the focus of the college basketball world on Sunday for its nationally televised game with No. 16 Purdue on CBS.

And even though the Wildcats ultimately lost, 69-65, they solidified their status as an NCAA tournament-worthy team.

The Wildcats went toe-to-toe against the Big Ten champions behind 25 points by Bryan McIntosh. They trailed just 66-63 with the ball in the closing seconds, when Nathan Taphorn’s open look at a potential game-tying 3-pointer couldn’t even find the rim.

Purdue hit three free throws down the stretch to salt away the win. It was a fitting cap for the Boilermakers, who outscored Northwestern 17-7 at the charity stripe.

Still, it was a far cry from the last time the two teams met, when Purdue drubbed the Wildcats by 21 points at Mackey Arena on Feb. 1. What a difference a month makes.

"I just thought it was a great college basketball game," said Northwestern coach Chris Collins, who likes the way his team is playing heading into the Big Ten and then, in all probability, the NCAA tournaments.

Purdue and Northwestern came into the contest with little to lose and it showed, as both teams executed exceptionally well despite a March Madness-like intensity. The Boilermakers clinched the conference title earlier this week when second-place Wisconsin lost to Iowa. Northwestern all but clinched its first-ever invitation to the Big Dance with Wednesday night’s thrilling 67-65 victory over Michigan.

It was also the last game at the Northwestern's "old" Welsh-Ryan Arena, which went out with a bang. The Wildcats' basketball home will undergo a $110-million renovation soon after this historic season. The Wildcats will play next year at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., before returning to the revamped arena in 2018-19.

Here are our three pointers on the loss that closed Northwestern’s regular season with a record of 21-10 (10-8 Big Ten), the most wins in a single season in Wildcat history:

McIntosh put on a show: Once again, Bryant McIntosh carried the Wildcats’ offense, which hit just 4 of 19 3-pointers in the game and relied on his penetration to create scoring opportunities. The Wildcats’ junior guard sank 10 of 17 shots, including 2 of 4 from long distance, and dished out a game-high 6 assists. McIntosh’s full arsenal was on display. There was the spinning baseline floater in the first half that capped a 6-0 run to give NU a 30-27 lead. There was an impossibly long, 10-foot running hook from the lane, a baseline turnaround jumper over Ryan Cline and a driving layup that he launched from under Swanigan’s chest that somehow found the rim. McIntosh’s heroics were needed as Vic Law and Scottie Lindsey combined to shoot just 5 of 24 (29.8 percent) and score 12 points.

Swanigan and Edwards again carried the Boilers: In the first meeting between these schools, Caleb Swanigan and Vincent Edwards combined for 51 points; this time, the Boiler’s dynamic duo got 45. Swanigan, especially, was a beast inside, getting numerous dunks in scoring 20 points and pulling down 14 rebounds, including 4 on the offensive end. Still, Collins was happy with his team’s effort against “Biggie,” the probable Big Ten Player of the Year, pointing out that he needed 15 shots to get his 20 points. He was especially impressed with the work of Sanjay Lumpkin, who often went one-on-one with Purdue’s 6-foot-9, 250-pound man in the middle despite giving away three inches and 30 pounds. The fifth-year senior finished with 13 points and team-high 7 rebounds in his final home game. Edwards scored a game-high 25 points even though he missed all three of his 3-pointers after hitting 5 of 7 during the teams’ matchup last time around.

This was the high-water mark for Northwestern basketball: Yes, the Wildcats reached the Promised Land with Wednesday's win over Michigan, but this game represents the apex of the program, even if they ultimately lost the game. Jim Nantz, Bill Raftery and Grant Hill were calling the game for CBS Sports. Reporters from ESPN and Sports Illustrated were in the house. They honored a few dozen former players, from the 1970s through just a couple years ago, at halftime. The fans seemed to be packed to the ceiling and the roars from the crowd reached decibel levels never before heard – and that was before the tipoff. The fact that it was the last game before the renovation of Welsh-Ryan only added to the drama. Northwestern was introducing itself to the nation on Sunday and, short of a win, the Wildcats couldn’t have done much more. “It was a special day,” said Collins. “That crowd; it was everything I've dreamed of here.”