3 Thoughts From Purdue's 73-66 Big Ten Tournament Win Over UCLA
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CHICAGO — It took a full 40 minutes, but Purdue found a way to take down UCLA and advance to the Championship Game of the Big Ten Tournament on Sunday. The Boilermakers defeated the Bruins 73-66, but it wasn't an easy victory.
The Boilermakers got huge performances from Oscar Cluff and Trey Kaufman-Renn, both recording double-doubles. Cluff finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds and Kaufman-Renn had 12 points and 10 boards.
Fletcher Loyer scored 14 points, Braden Smith dished out nine assists and Jack Benter came off the bench to give the Boilers eight points and six rebounds. It was a complete team effort.
Here are a few thoughts from Purdue's win over UCLA in the semifinal round.
Braden Smith's offensive brilliance continued
Once again, Smith didn't do much by way of scoring, but he facilitated the basketball at a high level, inching even closer to Bobby Hurley's NCAA assist record. He ended the game with nine assists and five points, going just 1-of-7 from the floor.
Smith has been outstanding throughout this tournament, getting his teammates involved offensively. The senior guard has now racked up 35 assists across three games, while only scoring 14 points.
Smith had a few more turnovers on Saturday against UCLA, trying to force a little too much at times, but he was moving the basketball well in the first half. He helped set the tone for the Boilermakers.
Excellent production from the bench players
Because Purdue was playing its third game in three days, Matt Painter decided to rest his starters a little more than usual. Braden Smith was the only one of the five who finished with more than 30 minutes on the floor.
That meant Purdue's bench needed to step up, and it certainly delivered.
Benter was the top performer from that rotation, ending the game with eight points on three shots, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer at halftime and a tough layup in traffic in the second half. He also pulled down six boards.
Purdue also got a great defensive effort from Gicarri Harris, Omer Mayer logged some important minutes and Daniel Jacobsen had four points and a block.
In a tournament that runs this long and takes a toll on bodies, it was imperative for the Boilermakers to get great minutes off the bench. They got exactly that against UCLA.
Oscar Cluff came through in clutch moments
Several Boilers had big games against UCLA on Saturday, but Cluff was the headliner. His 17 points and 14 rebounds — nine on the offensive glass — were critical for the Boilermakers.
What was most impressive was that Cluff's biggest impact came late in the game. It seemed like every time Purdue missed a shot, the 6-foot-11 senior was around the basket to clean it up. When the game was tied at 62-62, he tipped in a missed shot to give Purdue a lead. He knocked down four important free throws down the stretch.
For the tournament, Cluff is averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds per game. He has been important in Purdue's run to the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game. The center had his most impressive performance against UCLA on Saturday.
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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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