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Second-half surge ignites No. 6 Purdue past Minnesota

b8vTr9Hoby: Mike Carmin1 hour ago

After what can be best described as a methodical first 20 minutes, the Boilermakers delivered a stretch worthy of their position in the national landscape.

Oscar Cluff and Trey Kaufman-Renn dominated inside. Fletcher Loyer finds his shooting touch from the perimeter. C.J. Cox contributes at both ends. And Braden Smith’s teammates matched his first-half energy and took control of his Big Ten matchup against Minnesota.

Sixth-ranked Purdue put the Golden Gophers in a headlock during the first seven minutes of the second half and cruised to an 85-57 victory before another sellout at Mackey Arena.

The Boilermakers finished the December portion of the conference schedule at 2-0, including the Dec. 2 win at Rutgers.

PDF: Purdue-Minnesoa stats

PURDUE COACH MATT PAINTER

PURDUE’S TREY KAUFMAN-RENN AND OSCAR CLUFF

MINNESOTA COACH NIKO MEDVED

After what Iowa State did inside Mackey Arena five days ago, Purdue needed to take out its frustrations on Minnesota and first-year coach Niko Medved.

The Boilermakers scored 21 straight points after halftime and outscored the Gophers 29-2 during the first nine minutes to seize control. Coach Matt Painter’s team scored from every position, and its defense and rebounding helped fuel the surge.

The run featured 20 points in the paint and three 3-point field goals.

Smith contributed in every category. The senior point guard totaled 15 points, 12 assists, six rebounds, and five steals in 32 energy-filled minutes. Kaufman-Renn added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Cluff contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Back in the first half, Purdue had built a 27-15 lead with 6:04 on the clock, but couldn’t extend the advantage. That allowed Minnesota to stay connected, and it started the close the gap.

The Gophers finished the first half hitting 6 of 8 field goals and used a 17-8 spurt to pull within 35-32. But Minnesota missed its first eight attempts in the second half, and Purdue pounced.

The Boilermakers return to action Saturday against Marquette at Mackey Arena.

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