3 Thoughts From No. 6 Purdue's 85-57 Win Over Minnesota
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue is back in the win column. The sixth-ranked Boilermakers pummeled Minnesota 85-57 to improve to 2-0 in Big Ten play and 9-1 overall. It was a great response from Matt Painter's team after Saturday's loss to Iowa State.
Braden Smith was phenomenal on Wednesday, but we'll discuss his performance in a moment. Trey Kaufman-Renn finished the game with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Oscar Cluff added 14 points and 11 boards. Fletcher Loyer scored 10 points, and Daniel Jacobsen ended the contest with 11.
Here are a few quick thoughts from Purdue's bounce-back win over Minnesota to remain undefeated in Big Ten play.
Braden Smith was elite
It's hard to describe how important Smith was to Purdue's success against Minnesota on Wednesday night. The senior guard posted a ridiculous stat line, yes, but it was his leadership that really got the Boilermakers going, especially in the second half.
Smith ended Wednesday night's game with one of the best stat lines of his career, scoring 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, while also dishing out 12 assists, and grabbing six rebounds. He also had five steals and two blocks.
The senior was the one who held everything together when Purdue struggled to end the first half. He was the top scoring threat early in the game. Smith was the catalyst behind the 29-2 run out of the locker room. He truly played like a National Player of the Year candidate when the Boilers needed him.
Some disconnect early
Even though Purdue had a 10-point lead early in the game, you could argue that Minnesota controlled the pace a little better than the Boilermakers. And, late in the first half, the Gophers were finally able to take advantage.
The Boilers owned a 31-20 advantage with just over four minutes to play. However, Minnesota went on a 12-4 run to close out the half, aided by three-pointers by Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and Isaac Asuma.
Jacobsen missed some lob attempts from Smith, the Purdue defense gave up some open looks, and a few times the Boilers were beaten on back cuts. Frustration was evident on the court as Purdue went into halftime.
A 29-2 run to end it
Because of the way the first half ended, there was a little bit of worry as to how Purdue would respond out of the locker room. A 29-2 run silenced any doubt that the Boilermakers would bounce back.
It started with back-to-back paint touches for Kaufman-Renn and Cluff, who got four easy points. Then Smith and CJ Cox made three-pointers on back-to-back possessions, and Minnesota needed a timeout, as Purdue built its lead to 45-32.
After that, it felt like the game was over. Purdue was tenacious on defense and opportunistic on the offensive end. It was arguably the second-best stretch the Boilers have had this season, behind the performance against Texas Tech in the Baha Mar Championship.
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SMITH MAKES BIG TEN HISTORY: Purdue senior guard Braden Smith made Big Ten history on Wednesday night, becoming the first player in conference history to reach this crazy stat line. CLICK HERE
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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