5 Thoughts From No. 5 Purdue's 69-64 Win Over USC
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USC's physicality and defensive persistence gave No. 5 Purdue some trouble on Saturday night, but the Boilermakers prevailed. They escaped the Galen Center with a 69-64 victory to remain undefeated in Big Ten play and stay atop the conference standings.
Braden Smith and Oscar Cluff had huge performances. Smith ended the game with 22 points, five assists, and four rebounds, while Cluff had 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting, collected six boards, and dished out four assists.
Jack Benter also had a huge game, which was needed as Fletcher Loyer, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and CJ Cox struggled.
Here are a few takeaways from Purdue's win over USC.
Jack Benter deserves the game ball
Smith and Cluff obviously played critical roles in Purdue escaping the Galen Center with a victory, but Benter was also incredibly impactful. He finished the game with five points, seven rebounds, two assists, a steal, and two charges taken. Simply put, without his presence, the Boilermakers don't win this game.
It's not just what Benter does in the stat sheet, it's how he defends the basketball, finds ways to crash the glass, and always seems to make the right play. His biggest play in the first half came when Purdue was trailing 22-8, grabbing an offensive rebound and getting a putback for an easy two points. Yes, that was a simple play, but it seemed to provide a jolt for the Boilermakers.
There was also a 59-second stretch between the 8:46 and 7:47 marks in the second half when Benter knocked down a game-tying three, stole a loose ball, had an assist to Kaufman-Renn, and took a charge. It was an important moment in the game, and one that helped Purdue secure a win.
The 30-10 run to close the half
Obviously, things weren't looking good for Purdue early on. The Boilermakers trailed the Trojans 22-8, and both Fletcher Loyer and Cluff found themselves in foul trouble. That's when Braden Smith decided to take over, ending the first half with 18 points and making 4-of-4 attempts from three-point range.
Despite trailing by 14 points early in the game, Purdue bounced back and owned a 38-32 advantage at halftime. USC fought its way back into the game with plenty of chances to win, but the Boilermakers could have easily folded in that moment.
Instead, you saw Purdue's veteran leadership and depth put together a 30-10 run and erase a big deficit on the road.
An off night for Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer
There isn't another way to say it: Kaufman-Renn and Loyer both struggled on Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles. Loyer battled foul trouble and didn't connect on any of his three attempts from three-point range. Kaufman-Renn was just 2-of-8 from the floor and collected own three rebounds for the game.
USC's size and physicality clearly bothered Purdue, especially Kaufman-Renn. He was hesitant on his shot attempts, couldn't get to the glass, and appeared to be thinking too much at times.
For Loyer, it was probably a matter of rhythm. He headed to the bench less than two minutes into the game, which disrupted any type of flow for the sharp-shooter.
Didn't win the rebound battle
Purdue has been so good on the glass this season, but it struggled on Saturday. USC won the rebounding battle 40-32, which included 10 offensive boards for the Trojans. Jacob Cofie was a real problem on the glass, finishing the game with 15 rebounds. The Boilers were led by Benter, who collected seven boards.
Winning the rebounding battle is something Matt Painter stresses. The Boilers did pull down the boards at pivotal junctures, but their inability to keep the Trojans off the glass gave USC chances to win the basketball game.
Making plays late
The biggest moment in the game came when Purdue led 63-62, and Smith stole the ball from Jaden Brownell, raced to the other end of the floor, and got an easy layup to put the Boilers ahead by three points. That was a winning play at a critical moment.
But that wasn't the only play that mattered. We've already discussed Benter's impact in the second half, but how about Cluff knocking down a pair of free throws when trailing by two points to tie the game at 60? He then got a layup and knocked down another freebie to put his team ahead 63-60 late.
Making those shots and those plays on the road are the difference between wins and losses.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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