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  • Purdue Remains Unbeaten In Big Ten Conference Player After The Boilermakers Downed Minnie, 85-57

Purdue Remains Unbeaten In Big Ten Conference Player After The Boilermakers Downed Minnie, 85-57

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Basketball

(BCSNN) - No. 6 Purdue improved to 9-1 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play with an emphatic 85-57 victory over Minnesota Wednesday night at Mackey Arena.

The win marked Purdue’s first 2-0 Big Ten start since 2022-23 and just the seventh time in Matt Painter’s 21-year tenure. The Boilermakers extended their win streak over Minnesota to six games, outscoring the Gophers by a combined 112 points during that span — their longest streak against Minnesota since 1993-96.

After leading just 35-32 at halftime, Purdue erupted with a 21-0 run to start the second half, their third 20-0 or longer run this season. The surge stretched to 29-2 over the first eight minutes, as the Boilermakers shot 63.3 percent in the half and scored on more than 75 percent of their possessions.

Braden Smith delivered a historic all-around performance with 15 points, 12 assists, six rebounds, five steals, and two blocks. He became the first player nationally in at least 20 years to reach those marks in a single game. Smith also moved into 32nd place on the NCAA career assists list (849), cracked the top 10 for most career 10-assist games (28), and became just the fifth player in NCAA history with 1,500 points, 825 assists, and 550 rebounds. He also joined Purdue’s exclusive 200-steal club.

Purdue’s frontcourt dominated as Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen combined for 25 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks on 10-of-14 shooting. Cluff recorded his third double-double of the season (14 points, 11 rebounds), while Trey Kaufman-Renn added his fifth in eight games (14 points, 10 rebounds).

The Boilermakers controlled the glass 46-23, marking the fifth time in 10 games they’ve outrebounded an opponent by at least 18. Purdue also had three players record double-doubles for the second time this season — something the program hadn’t accomplished once between 1978 and 2021, but has now done four times in the last five years.

Since 2016-17, Purdue has compiled a 128-49 record in Big Ten play (.723), the fourth-most conference wins nationally. Their 72.3 percent winning percentage ranks second among power-five programs behind Duke. The Boilermakers are also 115-5 since 2017-18 when scoring 80 or more points.