Oscar Cluff's Perfect Performance vs. Marquette Among Best in Purdue History
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Marquette had no answer for Oscar Cluff on Saturday, and the 6-foot-11 center made the Golden Eagles play. The result was a 20-point win for the Boilermakers and one of the best performances the program has seen.
Cluff finished Saturday's game with 22 points and 11 rebounds, leading No. 6 Purdue to a 79-59 win over Marquette. He was a perfect 9-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
According to Purdue men's basketball's social media team, Cluff's 22-point performance is tied for the most points scored without a miss in program history, along with Caleb Swanigan.
On Nov. 26, 2016, Swanigan scored 22 points against NJIT, going 6-of-6 from the floor and making all 10 of his shots from the free-throw line. Swanigan was a first-team All-American that year.
💯 Most points in Purdue history on 100 percent efficiency.
— Purdue Men's Basketball (@BoilerBall) December 13, 2025
22 | Oscar Cluff vs. Marquette (12-13-25; 9-9 FGs, 4-4 FTs)
22 | Caleb Swanigan vs. NJIT (11-26-16; 6-6 FGs, 10-10 FTs) pic.twitter.com/Bce85AQqZG
"I knew it was going to take a little bit of time to be comfortable, especially with the arena and the fans. It's different than anything I've played in before," Cluff said after the game. "I was certain it was going to come over time, and I'm still going to continue to get better."
Saturday was Cluff's second-straight double-double performance. He scored 17 points and collected 11 rebounds in Purdue's 85-57 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday.
Cluff providing Purdue with tough presence
As the season has progressed, Cluff has become not just a force on the glass but an offensive weapon for the Boilermakers. He has scored 10 points or more in eight of Purdue's 11 games this season.
Coach Matt Painter said the primary focus when bringing Cluff into the program was to aid in the rebounding department. But the center is now a player opponents must account for on the offensive end.
"The rebounding was the main thing," Painter said. "He averaged 18 and 12 last year, and now you're starting to see a little more offense, but his usage level is less with us than it was last year.
"He really helps us. You saw in the second half, he just kept scoring down there. It really put them in a bind, and they had to change what they were doing. He's a weapon."
Through his first 11 games this season, Cluff is averaging 12.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He's also shooting at a 75.3% clip and makes his free throws at an 81.3% rate.
In just about every regard, Cluff has become a true threat for the Boilermakers, making this team even more difficult to defend.
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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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