Braden Smith's near triple-double not enough as Purdue basketball falls at Illinois

Braden Smith’s near triple-double not enough as Purdue basketball falls at Illinois

Posted by author March 8, 2025 Basketball

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. − A second-half double-digit lead slipped away yet again.

It proved costly in No. 18 Purdue basketball‘s 88-80 loss to Illinois at State Farm Center.

The Boilermakers nearly got a triple-double from junior point guard Braden Smith, who had 18 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, but Purdue went cold down the stretch just as the Illini heated up.

Illinois closed the game on a 16-3 run, helped by some late free throws to put an end to Purdue’s mini two-game winning streak.

Purdue basketball turning point

Back-to-back 3s by Tomislav Ivisic and Will Riley capped an early 8-0 Illini run. Purdue’s response? A 19-4 run that was sparked by freshman reserve guard Gicarri Harris, whose friendly roll 3 gave Purdue an 18-17 lead followed by Harris’ steal and fast break layup.

Riley’s stepback 3 to beat the first half buzzer pulled Illinois within 42-40, but the Boilermakers were able to push their lead to double digits with 11 minutes to go.

A recurring theme during Purdue’s four-game losing streak in February was inability to hold on to double-digit leads. Illinois used a 17-3 run to go up 70-66.

From there, the two teams traded blows until Kasparas Jakucionis stepped into a 3 with 40 seconds left. Smith’s response 3 was off and Illinois sealed the game with two Riley free throws.

Purdue’s last triple-double

Carroll’s triple-double came at Arizona, where the the Wildcats had a 38-game winning streak at the McKale Center.

Then Carroll had 16 points, 16 rebounds and 11 blocks in an 80-78 Boilermaker victory.

4 stars

Braden Smith, Purdue: He nearly had a triple-double, possibly solidifying himself as Big Ten Player of the Year.

Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue: The redshirt junior center finishes the regular season with back-to-back 29-point games. He also had eight rebounds against the Big Ten’s best team on the boards.

Will Riley, Illinois: Riley made all six free throw attempts on his way to a 22-point night. He was a big-time shot maker when the Illini needed one.

Tre White, Illinois: White finished 7 of 9 from the field, scoring 20 points to go with nine rebounds.

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