#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.

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

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 500th career game in his 22nd season as a head coach (25 wins at Southern Illinois; 475 at Purdue). He becomes the 16th active head coach with 500 wins, coming in the seventh-fewest games (Few, Calipari, Self, Pitino, Izzo, Bennett).

The win was Purdue’s 35th 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 120th 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 19th career double-double (18-1 record) with 16 points and 10 assists.

Smith now needs eight assists for 800 in his career, moving to 56th on the NCAA career assists list (792). The 10 assists against Akron marked his 25th 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 24th 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.

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