Boilermakers Bench Provides in win against Yale

Boilermakers Bench Provides in win against Yale

written by: Steven Stremming, Excel H Sports/USBWAA

The one consistent that has been proven time in and time out is this, Braden Smith can play basketball.

I personally know this, because he did the same thing as a Westfield Shamrock and won awards at my Indiana Basketball All-Star Classic games in three years.

He always seems to find the right time to ignite big moments in Purdue basketball games and the team normally responds.

Tonight was no different as Westfield, Indiana’s Smith scored 22 points, secured nine boards, handed out six assists and pilfered five Yale Bulldog passes.

What’s even more astonishing is the fact that he is now the first B1G Ten player in the last two decades to post those achievements.

Purdue provided this fact after the game, Smith in his 77 games has scored 853 points, assisted on 473 scores and has pulled in 392 rebounds.

Three other players contributed mightily to this win against the defending Ivy League champion, Yale Bulldogs.

In the second half, Silver Creek grad, Trey Kauffman-Renn was active around the paint and settled the Boilermakers paint action with solid shooting (five of eight) and connected on his charity attempts at (seven of nine) though none of those shots were charity driven. He earned them with decisive moves and played with his eyes.

For the game Renn, scored 17 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Myles Colvin, Park Tudor product and son of Roosevelt Colvin played within himself and made significant contributions in his plus 23 minutes of floor time.

Colvin’s solid defense was key to the victory along with his timely shooting which secured him nine points at games end along with five boards.

Cam Heide once again showed his place on the floor for the Boilermakers as he came off the bench and scored nine points as well, while playing strong defense, balancing the floor and key rebounds in the second half.

Fletcher Loyer, Homestead High School product kept up his torrid shooting from the floor (five of seven two-pointers and two of two from behind the arc.

Lexington, Massachusetts, freshman C J Cox showed the Purdue faithful why he was recruited with a game that saw him score twelve points and six of seven free throws.

On the Yale side, Head Coach James Jones team never faltered and showed why they are a constant in March during NCAA tourney time with a competitive game from start to finish.

Four of the Bulldogs starters scored in double-figures led by 6’6, Naperville, Illinois’ John Poulakidas who posted a game leading 23 points on nine of nineteen from the floor and five of twelve beyond the three-point line.

Poulakidas can shoot the rock and plays with an intensity that spills over into his teammates.

Nick Townsend, 6’7, Senior from Chappaqua, New York played with purpose and scored 12 points while being active around the bucket.

Samson Aletan, 6’10, Sophomore from the Dallas, Texas area showed real progress and potential as he scored 14 points and a team-high seven boards.

Bez Mbeng, 6’4, Senior from Potomac, Maryland was a defensive ace who always seemed to be in the right spot for the Bulldogs.  Mbeng scored 12 points, five rebounds a team-high five assists.

Casey Simmons, 6’6, Junior from Milton, Massachusetts was an instant scoring machine as he netted in the first half six points in less than a minute to keep the Bulldogs within striking distance.

Press Conference (Courtesy of Cainan Harper/Indiana Sports Network

Courtesy of Purdue University Athletics

Purdue 92, Yale 84 (Postgame Notes)

• The No. 13-ranked Purdue basketball team improved to 3-0 with a 92-84 win over the defending Ivy League champion Yale in front of 14,876 fans at Mackey Arena.
• Purdue is now at least 3-0 for the fourth straight season after starting 8-0 (2021-22), 13-0 (2022-23) and 7-0 (2023-24) in the previous three seasons.
• Purdue won its 38^th straight regular-season, non-conference game, good for the fifth-longest streak in NCAA history. The only streaks longer are Syracuse (52; 2008-12), North Carolina (43; 2006-09), Illinois (40; 2003-06) and Arizona (39; 2011-14).
• Purdue’s 20-game home winning streak is now the fourth-longest active streak in the country.
• Purdue has won 24 straight games in the month of November.
• Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Purdue is now 95-19 overall.
• Purdue has now won 122 straight games when scoring 90 points, spanning 13,501 days to its last loss (Nov. 24, 1987 vs. Iowa State).
• Purdue has won 62 straight games when shooting at least 50.0 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from 3-point range and 70.0 percent from the free throw line, last losing on March 3, 2004. Purdue shot 53.8 percent from the field, 47.8 percent from 3-point range and 78.1 percent from the free throw lne.
• Ten player in the last 20 years to reach those marks in a game.
• For his career in 77 games, Smith has 853 points, 473 assists and 392 rebounds.
• Braden Smith scored 22 points with nine rebounds, six assists and five steals. He is the first Big Ten player in the last 20 years to reach those marks in a game.
• For his career in 77 games, Smith has 853 points, 473 assists and 392 rebounds.
• Purdue’s big three of Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn combined for 53 of Purdue’s 92 points.
• In three games this season, Purdue is shooting 31-of-71 (.437) from 3-point range after going 11-of-23 against Yale. The Boilermakers finished last year ranked 2^nd in the country in 3-point percentage, and comparatively speaking, shot 31-of-67 (.463) in the first three games a year ago.
• Fletcher Loyer went 2-of-2 from 3-point range against Yale and is now 9-of-12 (.750) on the season. Dating to March 1 a year ago, Loyer is 28-of-45 (.622) from 3-point range.
• C.J. Cox set a season high with 12 points off the bench.
• Purdue’s bench accounted for 30 points.