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#5 Purdue Rallies to Top USC 69-64#5 Purdue Rallies to Top USC 69-64

#5 Purdue Rallies to Top USC 69-64

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[5] Purdue 69, USC 64 (Postgame Notes)

  • 5-ranked Purdue improved to 17-1 overall and 7-0 in the Big Ten with a 69-64 win over USC on Saturday at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.
  • The Boilermakers’ 17-1 start matches the best 18-game start in Purdue history, tied with 2022-23, 1987-88 and 1931-32 seasons for the best 18-game start in Purdue history.
  • The win was Purdue’s ninth in a row, matching the longest win streak for the program since the 2022-23 season (13 games). The 2023-24 team also won nine games in a row.
  • The nine-game winning streak is now tied for the 10th-longest streak in the country.
  • Purdue’s 7-0 Big Ten start is tied for the sixth-most wins to start a conference seasons in school history.
  • The five-point win marked the first game this season for Purdue that was decided by two or fewer possessions.
  • In its last two games, Purdue has rallied from nine points down with 14 minutes to play (vs. Iowa) and from 14 points down in the first half (and three with three minutes to play). Purdue outscored USC 12-4 in the last three minutes.
  • Purdue's 14-point deficit overcome was its largest since a 14-point comeback against Minnesota on Jan. 30, 2021. 
  • Purdue improved to 4-0 on the road and 3-0 on the road in Big Ten play.
  • The win was Purdue’s sixth quad-1 victory of the season, one-of-four teams nationally through Saturday’s games with six or more quad-1 victories (Duke, Michigan, Arizona, Purdue).
  • Purdue shot just 41.8 percent from the field, its second-lowest percentage of the season (Iowa State).
  • Purdue won its 1,000th game since the 1980-81 season (the Keady and Painter era).
  • Purdue improved to 29-3 (.906) in the month of January since the start of the 2022-23 season.
  • Purdue’s senior class now owns a 104-24 (.813) record, the fifth-most wins by a class in Purdue history.
  • The win was Matt Painter’s 250th since the start of the 2016-17 season, now one-of-four coaches (Mark Few, Kelvin Sampson, Bill Self) to have 250 wins over the last 10 seasons.
  • Purdue’s senior class how now won in 15-of-17 Big Ten arenas, needing Pauley Pavilion and Welsh-Ryan Arena to complete the rare sweep.
  • Purdue had just eight turnovers and in the last three games, is averaging just 6.7 turnovers per game with a turnover margin of plus-5.33 per game.
  • Braden Smith scored 22 points with five assists, four rebounds and three steals, setting the career record for most assists in Big Ten games (483).
  • Smith is now averaging 21.8 points and 8.5 assists per game in the last four games, shooting 34-of-56 (.607) from the field in that span.
  • Smith surpassed 600 career rebounds and joins Ohio’s D.J. Cooper as the only players in NCAA history with 1,600 points, 900 assists and 600 rebounds (Smith has 1,639 points, 927 assists and 602 rebounds).
  • Oscar Cluff scored 19 points with six rebounds and four assists in 23 minutes. Cluff now has 992 career points.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Braden Smith stole the ball at midcourt and hit a layup with 23 seconds remaining, helping No. 5 Purdue edge Southern California 69-64 on Saturday to pull into a first-place tie with Nebraska in the Big Ten standings with its ninth consecutive victory.

Smith scored 18 of his 22 points in the first half, when Purdue trailed by 14 points in the school's first visit to Los Angeles to play USC in 53 years.

The Boilermakers (17-1, 7-0) had just two field goals in the game's final three minutes, but made 8 of 10 free throws to avoid the upset. They were favored by 9 1/2 points, according to Sportsbook.

The Trojans (14-4, 3-4) were just 5 of 14 from the free-throw line in the game. They were led by Chad Baker-Mazara with 15 points. He missed six of seven 3-pointers, including a desperation heave at the end.

Trailing 60-57, the Boilermakers outscored USC 12-4 over the final three minutes of a back-and-forth second half.

Playing with four fouls, Oscar Cluff scored five in a row after Purdue trailed 60-58. He finished with 19 points and six rebounds.

Buoyed by a partisan crowd, the Boilermakers rallied from the early 14-point deficit to earn the program's 1,000th victory since the 1980-81 season, when coach Gene Keady first took over in West Lafayette.

Clad in black-and-gold and chanting “Boiler up!” and “Let's go Boilers!,” it felt more like Mackey Arena West than Galen Center, where the Trojans average 4,318.

In the first half, the Trojans ran off 16 straight points to take their largest lead of the game, 22-8. Five different players scored, highlighted by 7-foot-5 Gabe Dynes' dunk.

The Boilermakers answered with a 30-10 run to close the first half leading 38-32. Smith scored 13 of his 18 points in the spurt, singlehandedly outscoring the Trojans 8-0 going into the break. He made all four of his 3-point attempts in the half.