Furst Helps Purdue Post Win

Furst Helps Purdue Win

by: Steven Stremming, Excel H Sports/USBWA

photos by: Greg Flint, Excel H Sports/Flint Photography

Purdue went on the road Thursday evening to Minneapolis to take on the home-standing Gophers and came away with a road win 81 to 61.

Purdue led by one at the half, 28 to 27 but a big second half by Braden Smith and his team-mates opened up a lead the Gophers could not overcome.

Fletcher Loyer was efficient yet again as he scored 24 points on eight of ten from the field, including a four of six from behind the arc, that included a three-point bank shot near the end of the game.

Braden Smith scored 20 points on seven of seventeen shooting and five of eleven from three-point area and a game and team-high ten assists.

Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 17 points on eight of fourteen from the floor and dominated the paint area.

Caleb Furst was huge in his starting role as the scored eleven points on three of five from the floor and five of six from the charity stripe and six rebounds.

Smith is now the only player in B1G Ten history to post 1,000 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds before the end of his junior year in college.

Dawson Garcia led the Gophers with 20 and Lu’Cye Patterson added 14.

Minnesota now has gone 0-16 against Top 25 teams in the last four years.

The following is courtesy of Purdue University Athletics

• Purdue improved to 10-4 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten Conference with an 81-61 win over Minnesota in Minneapolis, The win was Purdue’s first road win in three tries this season.
• Purdue has won three straight road games against Minnesota, all coming by at least 15 points. The Boilermakers have won five straight against the Golden Gophers and Matt Painter is now 22-10 all-time against Minnesota.
• Purdue is now 35-4 all-time against Minnesota when scoring at least 80 points.
• The win was Matt Painter’s 228th in Big Ten play, tied with Ward “Piggy” Lambert for fourth on the Big Ten wins list in conference play.
• Purdue is now 15-7 on the road in Big Ten play since the start of the 2022-23 season (Braden Smith era). Northwestern and Illinois entered the night next in the Big Ten with a 9-12 record (Northwestern is now 9-13; Illinois was playing Oregon).
• Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Purdue is now 17-2 in the month of January.
• Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Purdue is now 120-33 overall, the third program nationally to win 120 games in that span (Houston – 133, Gonzaga – 126).
• Purdue went 11-of-25 (.440) from 3-point range, including 9-of-17 in the second half. Purdue has won 12 straight games when making double-digit 3-pointers.
• Purdue tied a school record for fewest turnovers in a game with three. It marks the second time this season that Purdue had three turnovers (3 vs. Alabama). The Boilermakers had no turnovers in the second half. Purdue has won 18 straight games when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent.
• Purdue has won 25 straight games when scoring at least 80 points, and is now 100-3 since the start of the 2017-18 season when scoring at least 80 points.
• Purdue has won 63 straight games when shooting at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 70 percent from the free throw line, last losing on March 3, 2004, when that happens.
• Braden Smith surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career with a 20-point, 10-assist, six-rebound effort, also committing no turnovers. He is the first player since Villanova’s Ryan Arcidiacono in 2014 to have 20 points, 10 assists and no turnovers in a road conference win.
• There have been five games in Purdue history of 20 points and 10 assists. Braden Smith has three of them, all coming in the last five games (24 & 10 vs. Maryland; 34 & 12 vs. Toledo; 20 & 10 vs. Minnesota).
• Smith becomes the first player in Big Ten history with 1,000 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds in their first three seasons (1,017 points, 567 assists, 439 rebounds).
• Smith’s 14 career 20-point, 10-assist games are tied for the most by a Big Ten player in the last 20 years (Cassius Winston). Smith’s 14 games of 20 & 10 have come in his last 52 games.
• Fletcher Loyer scored a season-high 24 points with three assists. He was 8-of-10 from the field and surpassed 150 career 3-pointers (now with 151), going 4-of-6 from deep.
• In games that Loyer and Smith combine for 25 points during their careers, the Boilermakers are 27-2. When it goes for 30 points, Purdue is 16-0.
• Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 17 points and has scored at least 11 points in all 14 games this season.
• Caleb Furst scored 11 points with six rebounds, in his first start since his sophomore season. When he scores in double-figures, Purdue is 13-0 in his career.