Live Game Thread & Updates for No. 1 Purdue vs. Rutgers

Big Ten play gets underway Tuesday night, and top-ranked Purdue is headed to Piscataway for a showdown with Rutgers. The Boilermakers have struggled with these December Big Ten road games, going just 2-6 since the league began scheduling these early-season matchups.

Purdue enters Tuesday night's game with a perfect 7-0 record, which includes ranked wins over Alabama and Texas Tech. Rutgers is hoping to snag a big home win, as it sits at 5-3.

For live updates, analysis and more for Tuesday's game, keep refreshing this page throughout the night.

#1 Purdue vs. Rutgers live game blog

2nd half

FINAL — Purdue 81, Rutgers 65. The Boilermakers start the year 8-0 and pick up their first win of the Big Ten season. Trey Kaufman-Renn ends the game with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists. Braden Smith had 16 points and 6 assists, Fletcher Loyer scored 12 and Gicarri Harris added 11 off the bench.

Rutgers was led by Dylan Grant with 13 points. Harun Zrno came off the bench and also scored 13 for the Scarlet Knights.

2:06 — We've reached the final media timeout of the game and Purdue leads 77-59. Trey Kaufman-Renn has 19 points and 13 rebounds. Fletcher Loyer is up to 12 points, but needed 11 shots to get there.

7:01 — Officials review a play for a potential upgraded foul against Purdue. Upon review, it remains a common foul and Rutgers loses a timeout. Boilers lead 70-51.

7:53 — Third media timeout and Purdue owns a 66-48 advantage. Give some credit to Rutgers, because it's not allowing the Boilermakers to completely run away with this one. But the Scarlet Knights just don't have the offensive firepower to shoot their way out of this deficit.

11:03 — Omer Mayer gets a bucket and a foul. With that basket, every Purdue player who has stepped onto the court has scored.

11:19 — Second media timeout of the second half and Purdue leads 59-39. Nothing much has really changed in Piscataway. The Boilermakers seem to be on cruise control at this point. As long as they can prevent Rutgers from going on any major runs, they should be able to get that first win in Big Ten play.

14:29 — First media timeout of the second half and Purdue owns a 56-33 lead on Rutgers. Trey Kaufman-Renn has Purdue's first double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Braden Smith is approaching one with 16 points and 8 assists. Oscar Cluff has had two easy dunks this half. It's all Boilers in Piscataway.

16:42 — A beautiful behind-the-back pass from Braden Smith leads to an easy Oscar Cluff dunk and gives Purdue a 51-29 lead early in the second half. The Boilermakers are showing no mercy in Piscataway. They've been nearly flawless out of the break. Rutgers takes a timeout.

17:30 — After a Braden Smith triple, Purdue has its largest lead at 18 points. The Boilermakers have opened the second half on a 7-2 run to build on its halftime lead. Purdue's execution has been outstanding this evening.

1st half highlights

"That is so smooth!" 🗣️@BoilerBall's Braden Smith makes it look so easy 😌

📺: FS1 pic.twitter.com/8ZLgBlkEDV
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) December 3, 2025

Kaufman-Renn finds Jacobsen 🙌 @BoilerBall

📺: FS1 pic.twitter.com/rjHRmmtSxP
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) December 3, 2025

1st half

HALF — Purdue 40, Rutgers 27. The Boilermakers closed the half on a 20-8 run to take control of the game at half. Braden Smith and Gicarri Harris have been shooting the basketball well and both have 11 points to lead the Boilermakers. Trey Kaufman-Renn is on the verge of another double-double with 9 points and 8 rebounds. Purdue also leads the rebounding battle 18-13 and had just three turnovers.

Rutgers was led by Jamichael Davis, who scored 9 points. Darren Buchanan Jr. had 6 points.

3:38 — A Gicarri Harris triple pushes the Purdue lead back up to 11 points and Rutgers takes a timeout. Harris is up to eight points for the game, making 3-of-4 shots from the floor. Trey Kaufman-Renn has been huge on the glass for the Boilermakers, already pulling down 8 boards. That's been a big advantage for Purdue in this first half.

5:08 — Purdue has put together a 7-0 run and is now ahead 27-19. Nice response after Rutgers went on a 10-0 run of its own.

7:52 — The Boilermakers have missed six straight shots from the floor and Rutgers has really closed the gap. It's 20-17 in favor of Purdue at the third media timeout. The Scarlet Knights are taking long offensive possessions to slow the game down. It really seems to be impacting the Boilermaker offense.

9:34 — Purdue did have a 20-9 lead in this game, but a 6-0 run from Rutgers has made this a five-point contest midway through the first half.

12:00 — Daniel Jacobsen picks up his second foul as we reach the second media timeout. Purdue leads Rutgers 17-8. Jacobsen attempted to block a shot at the rim but was whistled for contact. Braden Smith is off to a really strong start, scoring 9 points on 3-of-3 from three-point range.

13:55 — Rutgers is trying to attack Daniel Jacobsen in the paint on the offensive end. The Scarlet Knights have gotten to the rim a few times but missed some bunnies. Jacobsen also got a block on the defensive end. That's going to be what Rutgers tries to do all game long.

15:49 — It's the first media timeout of the game and Purdue owns an 8-6 lead on Rutgers. The ball movement for the Boilermakers has been outstanding, and Braden Sith has a couple of early triples. The Scarlet Knights have knocked down two threes, but the Boilers will live with that. They don't shoot the ball particularly well from distance for long stretches.

Pregame

Purdue's starters — #0 CJ Cox (G), #2 Fletcher Loyer (G), #3 Braden Smith (G), #4 Trey Kaufman-Renn (F), #45 Oscar Cluff (C).

Rutgers' starters — #0 Tariq Francis (G), #1 Jamichael Davis (G), #5 Darren Buchanan Jr. (G), #9 Dylan Grant (F), #21 Emmanuel Ogbole (C).

How to watch #1 Purdue vs. Rutgers

What: Big Ten Conference game
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025
Tipoff time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, N.J. (8,000 capacity)
TV: FS1
App: FOX Sports
TV announcers: Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (analyst)
Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network — WAZY 96.5 FM (Lafayette); WKJG 100.9 FM (Fort Wayne); WNDE 1260 AM (Indianapolis); WGBF 1280 (Evansville); Sirius XM 83; View all listings: CLICK HERE
Radio announcers: Rob Blackman (play-by-play), Bobby Riddell (analyst), Wes Scott (producer).
Live stats: Purdue.StatBroadcast.com
All-time series: Purdue leads the all-time series vs. Rutgers 18-6
Most recent: Purdue defeated Rutgers 100-71 in Mackey Arena on March 4, 2025
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Purdue has an 86.8% chance to defeat Rutgers

Preview

Based on history, there's a lot working against Purdue entering Tuesday's game against Rutgers in Piscataway. The Boilermakers are just 2-6 in Big Ten road openers since the conference began scheduling conference games in early December. Purdue will also head to Rutgers ranked No. 1 in the AP poll, and the Scarlet Knights have beaten the top-ranked Boilermakers twice (2021 and 2023).

Rutgers has a great home-court advantage at Jersey Mike's Arena, and Pikiell's physical brand of basketball has given Painter's club some troubles in the past. But do the Scarlet Knights have the firepower to compete with the Boilermakers?

Purdue has more offensive weapons than it has ever had, with seven of its consistent rotation players shooting 43% or better from the floor. Cluff, Kaufman-Renn, Loyer, Daniel Jacobsen, and CJ Cox all have a field goal percentage at or above .500 entering the game.

Rutgers, on the other hand, is a team that is shooting just 42.2% from the field this season, which ranks 306th nationally. The Scarlet Knights are not a prolific three-point shooting team, either.

The biggest difference, though, is the experience. Purdue is led by a trio of seniors in Smith, Loyer, and Kaufman-Renn. They also returned sophomore guards Cox and Gicarri Harris. Rutgers has just one senior on the roster (Ogbole) and has 10 underclassmen on the team.

Yes, Rutgers' physicality may cause some early problems for Purdue. Once the Boilermakers adjust to the aggressive nature of the game, their shooting ability, size advantage, and experience should prevail with relative ease.

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