PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Trey Kaufman-Renn recorded 22 factors and 15 rebounds to assist Purdue punch its sixth Candy 16 ticket within the final eight NCAA Tournaments with a 76-62 win over McNeese in second-round Midwest Area motion on Saturday.
The fourth-seeded Boilermakers (24-11) by no means appeared again after beginning 5-of-5 and 11-of-15 from the sphere en path to a forty five.1 p.c taking pictures efficiency, together with 11 of 26 from distance.
Fletcher Loyer (15 factors, 5 assists), Massachusetts native C.J. Cox (11 factors) and Braden Smith (10 factors) additionally scored in double digits for Purdue, which sank double-digit threes twice throughout its 2024 nationwide title recreation run.
The 15 rebounds have been a career-high for Kaufman-Renn, a unanimous All-Large Ten choice.
Honest Parker had 17 factors and Javohn Garcia had 12 on 4 3-pointers for Twelfth-seeded McNeese (28-7), which entered Saturday on a 12-game win streak.
Purdue made its first 5 baskets, withstanding McNeese’s early threes from Quadir Copeland and Garcia within the first 1:58 to construct a lead that ballooned to as many as 22 earlier than halftime.
After two inside feeds to Kaufman-Renn helped the Boilermakers open an early lead, Cox’s steal and reverse layup and a Myles Colvin trey highlighted a three-minute, 10-0 run that prolonged it to 17-6.
Parker knocked down the primary of two jumpers that broke a McNeese scoring drought spanning almost 4 minutes, however a response noticed Smith rating 5 straight Purdue factors, together with his second triple of the half, earlier than a Camden Heide fast-break end upped the result in 27-11 with 9:36 left.
Purdue logged one other 9-0 run on Cox’s straight-on three and 6 consecutive free throws by the three:55 mark for the 22-point lead. Christian Shumate made two baskets throughout McNeese’s 6-2 run to shut the half.
Loyer began Purdue’s second half with a deep 3-pointer with a foot on the middle emblem, however the lead was prolonged on the line. Cox made three photographs after being fouled on an tried trey earlier than a technical led to 5 makes from Loyer and Kaufman-Renn, and a 25-point lead.
McNeese made a powerful push thereafter, operating 11-0 over 5:35 that included 4 Brandon Murray factors round a Parker layup. Cox continued his greatest scoring efficiency since having 13 towards Wisconsin on Feb. 15 with a right-wing three to cease the Cowboy run.
Colvin arrange Kaufman-Renn’s 3-point play inside with 9:49 left, and the Boilermakers responded to 3 McNeese baskets with treys down the stretch earlier than McNeese completed on a 13-3 spurt, together with two baskets from T’Johnn Brown.
–Joshua Kummins, Area Stage Media
