WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – E'Twaun Moore scored 14 points, and No. 11 Purdue defeated Loyola of Chicago 78-46 on Tuesday night to advance to the NIT Season Tip-Off semifinals.

Purdue's E'Twaun Moore, top, gets a basket on a dunk over Loyola of Chicago's Andy Polka in the first half of an NCAA college men's basketball game in West Lafayette, Ind., Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Robbie Hummel scored 13 points and Marcus Green had 12 points and matched his career-high with 10 rebounds for the Boilermakers (3-0).

Purdue had only been to New York's Madison Square Garden for the semifinals once in three previous tries. The Boilermakers lost to North Carolina in the semifinals in 1998.

Justin Cerasoli had 14 points for the Ramblers (1-2), who were coming off a 74-53 win over Georgia on Monday and shot just 30 percent against the Boilermakers.

Purdue missed 10 of its first 15 shots, but controlled the first half with its defense until the offense got going. Keaton Grant made consecutive 3-pointers to give the Boilermakers a 25-9 lead.

Moore scored on a putback at the buzzer to give the Boilermakers a 40-14 halftime lead. Purdue nearly surrendered its lowest point total in a half in school history, but Cerasoli made a 3-pointer late in the half to help Loyola avoid the record low of 12 points. Loyola went nearly eight minutes without a field goal over one stretch.

Purdue shot 50 percent in the first half and held Loyola to 20 percent shooting. The Boilermakers forced 15 turnovers and committed just four in the first 20 minutes.

The Boilermakers doubled the score, 56-28, midway through the second half on a basket by Nemanja Calasan. Purdue's largest lead was 35 points.

Grant had 11 points, five assists and five rebounds, and Calasan scored 11 points.