Purdue pulls away, defeats High Point in the first round

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WISH) — High Point had cut the Purdue lead to just three points with less than eight minutes left in the game.

The shot clock was ticking down for the Boilermakers. Trey Kaufman-Renn was going to work in the post, but was struggling to get position. He pivoted, faced up to the basket, and faded away toward his left, and drained the shot.

That sparked a 7-0 Purdue run that brought the lead up to 10, and the Boilermakers went on to win, 75-63.

“That was an incredible shot and we were lucky that went down,” Purdue guard Braden Smith said. “They’re a great team and they were here for a reason and they showed why. And the game was so back and forth the entire time and I think me and Trey and all these other guys who have been through it, we understand how to keep our composure and stay with the game. It’s going to be ups and downs. I think we just made some good plays down the stretch.”

Kaufman-Renn was incredible for the Boilermakers once again. He led them in scoring with 21 points and was efficient from the field as well, shooting 10-16.

Purdue made a living on the offensive glass. The Boilermakers have been inconsistent all season in rebounding, but that was not the case on Thursday.

Purdue pulled down more than half of their missed shots (a 52.8% offensive rebound rate) and won the total rebounding margin, 45-24.

Purdue head coach Matt Painter called their ability to rebound, especially offensively, the difference in the game.

“Like Coach Paint said, it’s the difference in the game,” Kaufman-Renn said. “That’s what won us the game. I think we have done a better job lately on rebounding, put more of an emphasis on it from a player standpoint and we got to keep that up if we want to keep winning.”

With the win, Purdue has advanced to the second round in the tournament in three of the last four years.

Purdue will play McNeese in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The No. 12 seed upset Clemson in the first round.