Boilermakers Country

Purdue's Braden Smith Drops 14 Points on Michigan in 1st Half

Braden Smith put together a big first half in Purdue's game against Michigan on Tuesday night, scoring 14 points in the first 20 minutes for the Boilermakers.
Dustin Schutte|
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) reacts to scoring points
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) reacts to scoring points | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

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Braden Smith didn't have much trouble finding his shot in the first half of No. 7 Purdue's Big Ten battle against No. 20 Michigan. The junior guard finished the first 20 minutes of the game with 14 points, leading all scorers at the break.

Smith got started early, helping Purdue build an early 7-0 lead on Michigan. The star guard kept it rolling through most of the half, knocking down six-of-13 shots from the floor and making a pair of 3-pointers.

The junior was also responsible for two rebounds and an assist in the first half.

Purdue owned a 37-35 advantage on Michigan at halftime of Tuesday night's game. It was a much closer contest than the battle played in Mackey Arena between the two teams, a game the Boilermakers won 91-64.

Both Purdue and Michigan are in a race for a Big Ten regular season title. In the first half, Smith was doing everything he could to help the Boilers maintain their spot atop the standings.

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PURDUE-MICHIGAN POINT SPREAD: With the Big Ten title on the line, No. 7 Purdue travels to No. 20 Michigan Tuesday night and they are a rare underdog. Here's the latest on the point spread, with a great history vs the number for both teams. CLICK HERE

PAINTER TALKS IZZO: Over the weekend, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo tied Bob Knight's Big Ten wins record. Monday, Purdue coach Matt Painter talked about Izzo's success. CLICK HERE

BIG TEN BASKETBALL POWER RANKINGS: Purdue is back on top of the Big Ten in the standings and power rankings. But a tough stretch lies ahead as the Boilers pursue a third straight league title. CLICK HERE

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Dustin Schutte
DUSTIN SCHUTTE

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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