#2 Purdue Runs Past Akron to Move to 4-0 on Season

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Oscar Cluff, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and Braden Smith all recorded double-doubles to lead No. 2 Purdue to a 97-79 win over Akron in its final tune-up before the Baha Mar Championship. The Boilermakers are now 4-0 on the season, marking the fifth consecutive year that Purdue has started 4-0 or better.

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[2] Purdue 97, Akron 79 (Postgame Notes)

• 2 Purdue improved to 4-0 on the season with a 97-79 win over Akron on Sunday night in Mackey Arena. Purdue is now 4-0 (or better) for the fifth consecutive season.
• Head coach Matt Painter won his 500^th career game in his 22^nd season as a head coach (25 wins at Southern Illinois; 475 at Purdue). He becomes the 16^th active head coach with 500 wins, coming in the seventh-fewest games (Few, Calipari, Self, Pitino, Izzo, Bennett).
• The win was Purdue’s 35^th straight non-conference win in Mackey Arena.
• Purdue is now a nation’s-best 32-1 (.970) in the month of November since the start of the 2021-22 season.
• Purdue won its 120^th game since the start of the 2021-22 season, becoming the third team to reach that mark (Houston – 136; Duke – 124).
• Purdue was playing its second straight opponent to average over 95.0 points per game. Purdue held Alabama to 80 points and Akron to 79 points.
• Purdue was 26-of-44 (.591) from inside the 3-point line.
• Purdue has won 129 straight games when scoring 90 points, dating to Nov. 24, 1987, vs. Iowa State.
• Purdue had three players record double-doubles (Oscar Cluff, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Braden Smith) for the first time since Dec. 17, 2022, vs. Davidson (Zach Edey, Caleb Furst, Smith).
• Purdue had two players record at least 14 rebounds in the same game (Cluff, Kaufman-Renn) for the first time in at least the last 20 years.
• Purdue had five players with at least 14 points for the first time in at least 20 years.
• Purdue is now +43 (+24 vs. Alabama; +19 vs. Akron) on the glass in the last two games. Oscar Cluff and Trey Kaufman-Renn combined for 29 rebounds while Akron had 26.
• Trey Kaufman-Renn has grabbed at least 15 rebounds in three of his last four games dating to last year (15 vs. McNeese, 15 vs. Alabama, 15 vs. Akron).
• The center position of Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen combined for 23 points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots. For the season, the duo is averaging a combined 19.3 points, 15.3 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 2.5 assists per game.
• Braden Smith recorded his 19^th career double-double (18-1 record) with 16 points and 10 assists.
• Smith now needs eight assists for 800 in his career, moving to 56^th on the NCAA career assists list (792). The 10 assists against Akron marked his 25^th career 10-assist game, and he is now averaging 17.8 points, 8.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.
• Oscar Cluff recorded his 24^th double-double since the start of last season and his first with Purdue with 14 points and 14 rebounds in just 21 minutes.
• Trey Kaufman-Renn notched his second straight double-double and sixth of his career with 17 points and a career-high tying 15 rebounds in just 27 minutes.
• Omer Mayer tallied 14 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals in just 23 minutes.
• Fletcher Loyer scored 16 points and Purdue improved to 28-2 during his career when he makes at least three 3-pointers in a game.

PURDUE 97, AKRON 79 (AP) -- Trey Kaufman-Renn had 17 points and Oscar Cluff added 14 to power No. 2 Purdue to a 97-79 romp over Akron on Sunday night.

The win was the 500th of Matt Painter’s career. He has 475 with Purdue after getting 25 with Southern Illinois.

Kaufmann-Renn also had 15 rebounds while Cluff had 14 for the Boilermakers (4-0). Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer each scored 16 points and Omer Mayer had 14 points. Smith also had a team-high 10 assists while having an off-shooting night (4-of-12).

Purdue held a 45-26 rebounding edge, including a 19 offensive rebounds. That helped the Boilermakers to a 46-18 edge in points in the paint.

Tavari Johnson led the Zips (3-1) with 20 points. Evan Mahaffey had 12 points and Eric Mahaffey 10 for Akron. Shammah Scott, who was averaging 14.3 points per game for Akron, was held to nine points on 4-of-13 shooting.

The Boilermakers sank 8 of 12 3-pointers en route to a 52-39 halftime lead. Purdue did struggle from 3-point line in the second half, making just 1 of 11.

The 13-point halftime margin was Purdue’s largest of the opening 20 minutes.

Loyer scored 11 of Purdue’s first 15 points as the rest of the team had a slow start. With the score tied at 17-all, Mayer put the Boilermakers ahead for good with a 3-pointer with 12:20 left in the half. Mayer gave Purdue a lift with nine points off the bench in the first half.

The Boilermakers shot 53% in the first half while the Zips shot 42%.

The Boilermakers were without reserve forward Liam Murphy, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury.