The Purdue Boilermakers improved to 4-1 in Big 10 conference play and 12-4 overall Thursday night by defeating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 68-50. Rutgers dropped to 1-4 in the conference and 8-8 for all games played.
All season long, the Purdue basketball team has relied heavily on its preseason All-American point guard, and Braden Smith again led his Boilermaker mates in the first half against Rutgers. The reigning Big 10 Player of the Week, Smith ran the offensive beautifully, scoring 11 points and dishing out seven assists–with just one turnover–as Purdue ran out to a 33-24 lead at the break.
Early on, guard Fletcher Loyer joined the 1,000-point club when he drilled an elbow jumper to make the score 6-2.
The Boilers started out sizzling from the field; they hit six of their first eight shots en route to a quick 12-5 lead with 13:25 remaining. They eventually cooled off to finish the first 20 minutes with a 46.7% field goal percentage, but their defense stifled the Scarlet Knights to put some distance between them on the scoreboard.
Purdue held Rutgers scoreless for over four minutes, from 15:58 to 11:26 on the clock.
Rutgers coughed up 12 turnovers before halftime, the most they have committed in a half this season, which resulted in nine points for Purdue. The Boilermakers, who average nearly 12 turnovers per game, only gave up the ball three times in the first half.
With starting forward Trey Kaufman-Renn mired in foul trouble and relegated to the bench for much of the first half, fellow frontcourt men Caleb Furst and Camden Heide stepped up to man the boards and help hold Rutgers down offensively.
However, one of Purdue’s other bugaboos, rebounding, reared its head in the opening half. The Scarlet Knights were able to hang around and only trail by nine because of their 21-15 advantage on the boards.
The second half began with Kaufman-Renn picking up his third foul with just 32 seconds elapsing, sending him back to the bench by head coach Matt Painter. After Loyer hit a three-pointer with 19:09 remaining, neither team scored until the 17:22 mark when freshman big man Raleigh Burgess made a lay-up to extend the Boilers’ lead to 38-24, their biggest lead of the game.
However, Rutgers did not go away. Ace Bailey willed the Scarlet Knights close, scoring six points at the onset of the second half, and after a Tyson Acuff basket from distance, Rutgers was within five at 46-41 with 10:51 remaining.
The Boilermakers went on a 9-2 run over the next three minutes thanks to four baskets by four different players, including Gicarri Harris‘ first three-pointer of the game.
The lead grew to 16 when Harris’ extra pass found Furst for an easy dunk to make the score 59-43 with 7:05 remaining.
From there, the Boilermakers suffocated the Scarlet Knights into submission as neither team lit up the nets for the rest of the game.
Rutgers’ star freshman Dylan Harper, who is recovering from illness and came into the game leading the Big 10 in scoring with a 21.1 average, was held to just six points.
Purdue’s balanced scoring attack was led by the usual suspects–Kaufman-Renn and Smith had 16 points apiece, Loyer chipped in 13–and finished with only eight turnovers on the night.
The Purdue Boilermakers hope to continue their winning ways and extend their winning streak to five next in West Lafayette on Sunday, January 12, when they welcome the Nebraska Cornhuskers to Mackey Arena. Tip time is set for noon ET.
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