[20] Purdue 81, Minnesota 61 (Postgame Notes)
Purdue improved to 10-4 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten Conference with an 81-61 win over Minnesota in Minneapolis, The win was Purdue’s first road win in three tries this season.
Purdue has won three straight road games against Minnesota, all coming by at least 15 points. The Boilermakers have won five straight against the Golden Gophers and Matt Painter is now 22-10 all-time against Minnesota.
Purdue is now 35-4 all-time against Minnesota when scoring at least 80 points.
The win was Matt Painter’s 228th in Big Ten play, tied with Ward “Piggy” Lambert for fourth on the Big Ten wins list in conference play.
Purdue is now 15-7 on the road in Big Ten play since the start of the 2022-23 season (Braden Smith era). Northwestern and Illinois entered the night next in the Big Ten with a 9-12 record (Northwestern is now 9-13; Illinois was playing Oregon).
Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Purdue is now 17-2 in the month of January.
Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Purdue is now 120-33 overall, the third program nationally to win 120 games in that span (Houston – 133, Gonzaga – 126).
Purdue went 11-of-25 (.440) from 3-point range, including 9-of-17 in the second half. Purdue has won 12 straight games when making double-digit 3-pointers.
Purdue tied a school record for fewest turnovers in a game with three. It marks the second time this season that Purdue had three turnovers (3 vs. Alabama). The Boilermakers had no turnovers in the second half. Purdue has won 18 straight games when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent.
Purdue has won 25 straight games when scoring at least 80 points, and is now 100-3 since the start of the 2017-18 season when scoring at least 80 points.
Purdue has won 63 straight games when shooting at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 70 percent from the free throw line, last losing on March 3, 2004, when that happens.
Braden Smith surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career with a 20-point, 10-assist, six-rebound effort, also committing no turnovers. He is the first player since Villanova’s Ryan Arcidiacono in 2014 to have 20 points, 10 assists and no turnovers in a road conference win.
There have been five games in Purdue history of 20 points and 10 assists. Braden Smith has three of them, all coming in the last five games (24 & 10 vs. Maryland; 34 & 12 vs. Toledo; 20 & 10 vs. Minnesota).
Smith becomes the first player in Big Ten history with 1,000 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds in their first three seasons (1,017 points, 567 assists, 439 rebounds).
Smith’s 14 career 20-point, 10-assist games are tied for the most by a Big Ten player in the last 20 years (Cassius Winston). Smith’s 14 games of 20 & 10 have come in his last 52 games.
Fletcher Loyer scored a season-high 24 points with three assists. He was 8-of-10 from the field and surpassed 150 career 3-pointers (now with 151), going 4-of-6 from deep.
In games that Loyer and Smith combine for 25 points during their careers, the Boilermakers are 27-2. When it goes for 30 points, Purdue is 16-0.
Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 17 points and has scored at least 11 points in all 14 games this season.
Caleb Furst scored 11 points with six rebounds, in his first start since his sophomore season. When he scores in double-figures, Purdue is 13-0 in his career.
MINNEAPOLIS — Fletcher Loyer scored 24 points on 8-for-10 shooting and Braden Smith had 20 points, 10 assists and six rebounds as No. 20 Purdue pulled away from Minnesota for an 81-61 victory Thursday night.
Trey Kaufman-Renn added 17 points for the Boilermakers (10-4, 2-1 Big Ten), who notched their first road win of the season after losing at Marquette and Penn State. Purdue, the two-time defending regular-season Big Ten champion, has the best cumulative road record in conference play over the last three seasons at 15-7.
Dawson Garcia scored 20 points for the Gophers (8-6, 0-3), who had a one-point lead early in the second half before the Boilermakers got hot. Loyer and Smith each hit four 3-pointers after halftime.
Minnesota, last in the Big Ten in 3-point shooting, went 4 for 17 from deep.
Takeaways
Purdue: Coach Matt Painter gave freshman guard C.J. Cox and senior center Caleb Furst their first starts of the season and brought Myles Colvin and Camden Heide off the bench. Furst had 11 points and six rebounds in 30 minutes.
Minnesota: Coach Ben Johnson has not beaten a ranked team in four seasons, falling to 0-16 against AP Top 25 opponents. The Gophers have lost 18 games in a row to ranked foes since beating No. 24 Purdue 71-68 at home on Feb. 11, 2021, under coach Richard Pitino.
Key moment
Heide, who helped lead Wayzata to a Minnesota Class 4A state championship in 2021, hit a 3-pointer with 14:49 left for a 40-35 lead after a Gophers turnover.
Key stat
Smith became the first Big Ten player with at least 1,000 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds in a career before the end of his junior season.