Purdue basketball team defense Braden Smith leads the way in victory over Northwestern

WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue Basketball quickly made sure Northwestern wouldn’t bring its latest upset to Mackey Arena on Sunday.

The Boilermakers dominated the first half en route to a 79-61 win at Mackey Arena. Northwestern has beaten Purdue in Evanston each of the last two seasons when the Boilers were ranked No. 1.

Evaluating individual performances from a Big Ten blowout:

(*denotes man of the match)

RESOLUTIONS

∎ Braden Smith: 8/10*

He immediately attacked the middle when dribbling, setting a tone that is sometimes missing in tougher defensive battles. When he’s both creating his own shots and firing 3s when the offense is turned on its head, opponents have little recourse. Collected 22 points, six rebounds and seven assists with five turnovers.

∎ CJ Cox: 8/10

Opened the scoring with a 3 from the elbow as Trey Kaufman-Renn responded to Northwestern’s action. Another one was added in the second half for the highlight reel, hitting the shot clock while going out of bounds. Another solid start with eight points, five rebounds and only one turnover.

∎ Fletcher Loyer: 7/10

Standout defensive shutdowns from Brooks Barnhizer and Nick Martinelli in the first half. Moderate foul trouble limited him to a quieter but still efficient day scoring points. He was still diving for loose balls with a lead of 26 midway through the second half.

∎ Caleb Fürst: 7/10

Seems to have really found his groove. The finishes to the basket could still be cleaner, but he’s a better player in every way than he was at the beginning of the season. His current performance also gives Matt Painter more matchup options.

∎ Trey Kaufman Renn: 7/10

In the end he scored 12 points, but the post contacts were just as great, which he converted into points for his teammates with four assists. Now three straight games with six or fewer rebounds, which could be more of a minor coincidence than a trend.

RESERVES

∎ Myles Colvin: 7/10

It must be a relief to see the 3-point shot break the 1-for-17 slide. His length also played a role in the matchups against Barnhizer, either when he brought the ball up or when he switched in the half court.

∎ Camden Heath: 6/10

Defensive versatility is on display in these matchups against teams with multiple key players and conventional wing bodies. Helped throughout with Barnhizer and Martinelli.

∎ Raleigh Burgess: 6/10

Played only three minutes in the span where the game was even remotely in doubt. He hit some of his best shots of the season in the second half, including a lob dunk off Smith’s assist. Came back from a hit in the face and made a three-pointer, and catching that on film can make the whole offense better across the board.

∎ Gicarri Harris: 7/10

He took advantage of his opportunities on offense a few times in this great first half. He also contributed important minutes to the general defensive frustration of what had previously been a steady, mistake-shy Wildcats offense.

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