SAN DIEGO — In an exciting opening match of the Rady Children’s Invitational, the No. 13 Purdue team secured a 71-61 victory over N.C. State. Trey Kaufman-Renn played a pivotal role in this triumph, scoring 15 of his total 22 points during a strong second half, while Camden Heide contributed 15 points of his own.

This game marked a rematch of the previous season’s Final Four clash, where Purdue claimed a decisive 63-50 win over the Wolfpack, before ultimately falling to UConn in the championship game. Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer also made solid contributions, each scoring 11 and 10 points respectively for Purdue, who now boasts a record of 6-1. For N.C. State, Jayden Taylor led the scoring with 15 points, followed closely by Brandon Huntley-Hatfield with 13, making their record 5-1 for the season.

Purdue established a comfortable lead, peaking at 71-56 after Heide sank a three-pointer from the corner with just 1:48 remaining.

In terms of the game’s dynamics, N.C. State started strong, remaining competitive throughout the first half and ending the period down by just one point at 33-32. However, they struggled to contain Kaufman-Renn’s effective offense as the second half progressed.

Purdue is aiming for its fourth consecutive title in Thanksgiving week tournaments and continues a tradition of traveling west for holiday play. The Boilermakers won the Maui Invitational last year and the Phil Knight Legacy in Portland two years ago, each time defeating Gonzaga in the finals.

A critical moment occurred at the start of the second half when Kaufman-Renn quickly scored Purdue’s first six points, extending their lead from 33-32 to 39-34 in just over two minutes.

Statistically, Purdue dominated the boards, out-rebounding N.C. State 38 to 28, with Kaufman-Renn collecting eight rebounds to bolster his team’s performance.

Looking ahead, Purdue is set to compete in the championship game on Sunday, where they will face the winner of the matchup between No. 23 Mississippi and BYU.