Braden Smith's Dominant Run Continues as Purdue Obliterates Northwestern
On an afternoon when snow and bitter cold filled the air in West Lafayette, Purdue guard Braden Smith provided plenty of heat. The junior was a walking flamethrower, torching Northwestern for 22 points, seven assists and six rebounds in a 79-61 win for 20th-ranked Boilermakers.
Sunday's performance was the latest in a string big outings for the Big Ten's Preseason Player of the Year. He had 34 points and 12 assists in a win over Toledo last weekend. In Thursday's victory over Minnesota, Smith finished the game with 20 points and six assists.
"It all starts with him being hungry and shooting," coach Matt Painter said of Smith. "We encourage that ... When he's making the right reads, we've been successful. His ability to shoot the basketball and pass the basketball is very unique."
Purdue's dominance began from the opening tip. The Boilermakers jumped out to a 7-0 lead and owned an 11-3 advantage by the first media timeout. It wasn't just the shot-making that made a difference, it was Purdue's success on the glass.
When the whistle blew for the first media timeout, the Boilers owned a 5-0 advantage in the rebounding category. It was an indication of things to come the rest of the afternoon.
By halftime, Purdue led Northwestern 41-18, thanks to 17 points, six rebounds and three assists from Smith. It never really got much closer in the second half, with the Boilers extending their lead to 29 points before the Wildcats closed the gap in the final minutes.
In addition to Smith's big day, Purdue also got 12 points from Trey Kaufman-Renn and CJ Cox. Fletcher Loyer scored nine, Myles Colvin had seven and Raleigh Burgess got six.
Purdue shot 50.9% from the floor and 40% from 3-point range. Defensively, the Boilermakers shut down Northwestern, holding the Wildcats to just 38.3% shooting.
It was a total team effort for Purdue on Sunday, but Smith was the story once again. Over his last three games, the junior guard is averaging 25.3 points, 9.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game. And he's earned plenty of accolades in that stretch, as well.
Smith became a member of Purdue's 1,000-point club in Thursday's win over Minnesota. On Sunday, he climbed up to No. 2 on the Boilermakers' all-time assist leaderboard.
But the statistic that has mattered most for Smith has been wins. The Boilermakers now have three in a row and are hoping to extend that streak on Thursday when the travel to Rutgers.
If Smith continues at this rate, he's going to have his team in position to win every game remaining on the schedule.
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SMITH CLIMBS ASSIST LEADERBOARD: Purdue guard Braden Smith overtook Brian Walker for the No. 2 spot on the program's all-time assist leaderboard. He's on pace to make Boilermaker history. CLICK HERE
PAINTER SPEAKS ON LOYER, SMITH SUCCESS: Braden Smith hit 1,000 career points vs. Minnesota. Fletcher Loyer is closing in on that tally. But what Purdue coach Matt Painter loves most about the two has been the on-court success the Boilermakers have enjoyed. CLICK HERE
HARRIS GETS EASY BUCKET: Purdue guard Gicarri Harris raced by Northwestern defenders on his way to an easy reverse layup in Sunday's Big Ten matchup. CLICK HERE
