Indianapolis, IN – USC gave Purdue all it could handle, but in the end, the Boilermakers’ firepower—and a monster performance from Trey Kaufman-Renn—proved too much. The Trojans saw their Big Ten Tournament run end in a tough 76-71 loss, as Kaufman-Renn exploded for 30 points and seven boards to carry Purdue into the next round.
Coming off a grueling double-overtime win, USC looked like it had some magic left, jumping out to an early lead. With 7:57 left in the first half, the Trojans were up eight, fueled by a strong inside presence. Josh Cohen kept the momentum rolling with a tough and-one finish, but Purdue wasn’t fazed. The Boilermaker crowd came alive after a deep three, followed by a USC turnover that swung momentum.
March is all about runs, and this one was no different. Just like USC’s thriller against Rutgers, both teams traded blows. Purdue clawed back to tie it at 28 with 4:21 left before Wesley Yates III silenced the crowd with a clutch three to put USC back up. The first matchup between these squads wasn’t close—Purdue ran away with a 90-72 win—but this time, the Trojans weren’t backing down.
With under a minute left in the half, it felt like a heavyweight fight, punch for punch. Purdue’s Braeden Smith—recently crowned Big Ten Player of the Year—showed why, slicing through the defense and kicking out to Myles Colvin for a dagger three to tie it at 35. USC shot a solid 47% from the field but struggled from deep (3-for-12), while Purdue was more efficient at 58% and hit 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.
Inside, USC owned the paint with 20 points, but Purdue had the ultimate X-factor: Kaufman-Renn. He led the Boilermakers with 12 at the break, setting the stage for his dominant night. On USC’s side, Yates III had eight, while Matt Knowling added six. As halftime hit, both teams knew they were in for a battle.
USC had Purdue on the ropes for most of the night, but when it mattered most, the Boilermakers capitalized. Despite four Trojans hitting double figures and USC leading for nearly 20 minutes, costly mistakes—and maybe a few questionable calls—proved too much to overcome. Purdue edged out a 76-71 victory, fueled by Trey Kaufman-Renn’s dominance in the paint and some clutch late-game execution.
The Trojans came out swinging in the second half. Chibuzo Agbo’s deep three put USC up six with 14:54 to play, but Purdue’s Myles Colvin answered right back to keep the Boilermakers in it. Agbo wasn’t done, drilling another triple that could’ve been an and-one, but the refs swallowed the whistle—maybe a great no-call, maybe not. Either way, the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd was electric as USC clung to a 56-55 lead with under 12 minutes to go.
This wasn’t the blowout Purdue handed USC in their first matchup. This time, it was a battle. Desmond Claude, playing through foul trouble, continued making big plays, leading the Trojans with 18 points. Wesley Yates III added 13, while Isaiah Agee and Matt Knowling each chipped in 11. But down the stretch, Purdue leaned on Kaufman-Renn, who bullied his way to a game-high 30 points.
Purdue head coach Matt Painter acknowledged the intensity of the matchup, crediting USC’s fight. “Obviously, it was a very tough, physical game. USC was very resilient. Tough covers, like they have good players,” Painter said postgame. “Obviously, Yates had 30 against us in the first game. Claude didn’t play in the first game. He obviously got in foul trouble.”
With two minutes left, Purdue held a slim two-point lead. Then came the moment that turned the game—USC coughed up a costly turnover, leading to a foul that sent Purdue to the line. The Boilermakers didn’t flinch, icing free throws to put the game out of reach.
Despite leading for nearly 20 minutes and seeing the game tied 13 times, USC came up just short. In March, it’s all about closing, and on this night, Purdue did just that.
