MINNEAPOLIS — In a decisive match on Thursday night, No. 20 Purdue secured an 81-61 win against Minnesota as Fletcher Loyer showcased his skills by scoring 24 points on an impressive 8-for-10 shooting. Braden Smith also had a standout performance, contributing 20 points along with 10 assists and six rebounds. This victory marked Purdue’s first road win of the season, bouncing back after defeats against Marquette and Penn State. The Boilermakers, who have claimed the regular-season Big Ten championship for the last two years, maintain an outstanding cumulative road record in conference play over the last three years at 15-7.
For the Gophers, Dawson Garcia led the scoring with 20 points. They initially held a narrow one-point advantage early in the second half. However, Purdue’s offense heated up quickly, with both Loyer and Smith sinking four 3-pointers after halftime. Despite the effort, Minnesota struggled to connect from beyond the arc, finishing the night 4 for 17 in 3-point shooting, ranking them last in the Big Ten for this statistic.
Notably for Purdue, head coach Matt Painter made some changes to the lineup by giving freshman guard C.J. Cox and senior center Caleb Furst their first starts of the season, while Myles Colvin and Camden Heide came off the bench. Furst contributed with 11 points and six rebounds over 30 minutes of play.
On the other side, Minnesota’s coach Ben Johnson continues to seek his first victory against a ranked team, now holding a record of 0-16 against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 over four seasons. The Gophers have suffered 18 consecutive losses to ranked opponents since their last victory against No. 24 Purdue, a 71-68 win at home on February 11, 2021, under former coach Richard Pitino.
A pivotal moment in the game came when Camden Heide, who contributed significantly to Wayzata’s Minnesota Class 4A state championship in 2021, drained a 3-pointer with 14:49 remaining to push Purdue ahead 40-35 following a turnover by the Gophers.
A significant statistic to note is that Smith has now become the first player in the Big Ten to achieve over 1,000 points, 500 assists, and 400 rebounds before the conclusion of his junior season.
Looking ahead, Purdue is set to host Northwestern on Sunday, while Minnesota will welcome Ohio State to their home court on Monday.
