The present work considers the turbulent flow inside an annular rotor-stator cavity with and without centrifugal throughflow. Extensive measurements performed using a two component laser Doppler anemometer technique and pressure transducers are compared to numerical predictions based on one-point statistical modeling using a low Reynolds number second-order full stress transport closure. A study of the flow control parameters is performed and, for the first time, a better insight into the transition from Batchelor to Stewartson types of flow is gained from this study. The advanced second-order model is confirmed to be the adequate level of closure to describe such complex flows.