Braden Smith puts on a show as Purdue basketball grounds Toledo in final tune-up

Posted by author December 30, 2024 Basketball

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WEST LAFAYETTE − The best cure when you’re a little bit off is to return home.

Purdue basketball‘s penicillin is Mackey Arena, where the Boilermakers improved to 7-0 this season after beating Toledo 83-64 Sunday night.

No one was more comfortable in the home surroundings than Braden Smith, who put on an offensive show.

Smith opened the game with a straight ahead 3, setting the tone for a career game for the junior point guard.

By the time Smith exited late, he compiled a career-high 34 points on 12-of-22 shooting and also had 12 assists.

Smith and his junior counterparts Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn carried Purdue’s offense with a combined 74 points.

Purdue basketball turning point

Toledo held its own early, leading 12-10 after a Seth Hubbard bucket.

In the blink of an eye, the Rockets were down 28-14.

Sparked by Smith and Kaufman-Renn and ending with Loyer’s three-point play, Purdue went from down two to doubling up Toledo in a span of 8:04. The Rockets went 1-of-12 shooting during that span.

Including Kaufman-Renn’s dunk to tie the score at 10, the redshirt junior center had six straight Purdue points. Smith scored seven straight and nine of the next 11 points. At that point, Smith was outscoring Toledo by himself 15-14.

Cause for concern?

Purdue opened as a 21.5-point favorite. On paper, this looked like a game that should shore up some of Purdue’s recent offensive struggles.

Toledo entered Saturday ranked 315th in defensive efficiency. After a barrage of early missed 3s (Purdue started 2-for-9), the offense got in a rhythm.

The Boilermakers let a struggling Toledo team hang around for far too long in Mackey Arena. The Rockets took advantage of Purdue’s questionable shot selection and lack of running an offense, closing within five points in the second half.

Only then did the Boilermakers step on the gas pedal and start to put the game out of reach in the final 10 minutes.

3 stars

Braden Smith, Purdue: What else needs to be said? This is who Purdue needs Smith to be to win a third consecutive Big Ten title.

Fletcher Loyer, Purdue: The Boilermakers needed a first half boost. Loyer delivered, making three 3-pointers in a row. Loyer finished with 17 points.

Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue: Once Purdue stopped settling for outside shots and got Kaufman-Renn involved, Purdue’s center answered the bell. Kaufman-Renn had 23 points on 11 of 14 shooting to go with 6 rebounds.

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.