Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn help No. 6 Purdue rebound with dominant 85-57 win over Minnesota

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Braden Smith had 15 points, 12 assists and six rebounds, and Trey Kaufman-Renn added 14 points and 10 rebounds before departing early Wednesday night as No. 6 Purdue blew out Minnesota 85-57.

The Boilermakers (9-1, 2-0 Big Ten) sent a resounding statement in their first game since tying the record for the largest home loss by a No. 1 ranked team. Purdue lost by 23 points to then No. 10 Iowa State on Saturday.

There was no repeat, thanks largely to a suffocating defense. Purdue still hasn’t lost consecutive home games since February 2020. Oscar Cluff added 14 points and 11 rebounds and Fletcher Loyer finished with 10 points.

Jaylen Crocker-Johnson led Minnesota with 17 points. Cade Tyson scored 15 as Minnesota shot a dismal 35.7% from the field and was even worse, 6 of 25, on 3-pointers. Purdue also had a 46-23 rebounding advantage.

Purdue sealed the victory by starting the second half on a 31-4 run while limiting Minnesota (5-5, 1-1) to just two baskets over a span of nearly 11 minutes. The spurt left the Golden Gophers facing an insurmountable 66-36 deficit.

It didn’t start that way, though. After Purdue built an early 23-13 cushion, the Gophers charged back by cutting the deficit to 35-32 at the half.

Smith moved within one assist of joining D.J. Cooper as the only Division I players to record 1,500 points, 850 assists and 550 rebounds in their careers. Cooper played at Ohio from 2013-16.

Up next

Minnesota: Returns home to face Texas Southern on Sunday.

Purdue: Hosts Marquette on Saturday.

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