Trey Kaufman-Renn’s game-winner pushes No. 10 Purdue past Indiana

Purdue had to will itself to this victory.

There was nothing easy. It was hard facing in-state rival Indiana, which was struggling coming into the game, but kept coming back when the Boilermakers had seemingly put them away.

As another chapter in this series unfolded on Friday night at Mackey Arena, it was a combination of players who pushed No. 10 Purdue over the top, posting an 81-76 victory.

There was Trey Kaufman-Renn, who muscled his way to seven straight points to start the second half and came through with the go-ahead basket with 11 seconds on the clock. He finished with 23 points, including two free throws with 2.2 seconds to play after intercepting a pass.

There was Braden Smith, who guided the offense and made plays on the defensive end to swing the momentum back to the Boilermakers. Smith had 24 points and seven assists.

There was Fletcher Loyer, who popped the lid off the basket with a crucial 3-pointer. It stopped a 12-0 run by the Hoosiers, who had taken control. Loyer’s two free throws with 3.3 seconds gave the Boilermakers a three-point lead.

From IU’s perspective, there was Mackenzie Mgbako, who keyed a handful of runs to keep the Hoosiers from wilting under the pressure on the road. Mgbako forced the Boilermakers to counter with his impressive shot-making ability. He had 25 points.

Tied at 72 with 1:51 to play, Smith’s two free throws gave Purdue the lead. Smith stripped Oumar Ballo in the lane, triggering a transition opportunity. C.J. Cox made 1 of 2 free throws, giving the Boilermakers a 75-72 lead.

But Trey Galloway answered with a layup, bringing the Hoosiers within 75-74 with 1:13 to play. Galloway, who had 13 of his 15 points in the second half, delivered again with a one-handed basket in the lane, giving IU a 76-75 lead with 25.6 seconds left. It set the stage for Kaufman-Renn’s game-winner.

The Hoosiers held a 19-10 rebounding advantage in the first half, but the Boilermakers carved into that margin after halftime. Purdue countered the rebounding with a big edge in points off turnovers.

IU’s rebounding and the production from Luke Goode and Mgbako were the story in the first half. Goode and Mgbako combined for 24 points and helped put together a 9-0 run and a 36-29 lead with 3:44 to play. Ballo became more involved in the offense, scoring all nine of his first-half points in the final five minutes.

The Boilermakers picked up a little momentum to end the first half. They trailed by seven with 1:11 on the clock, but Cox’s offensive rebound led to a Gicarri Harris jumper with 11 seconds before halftime, pulling with 41-37.

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