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COLLEGE PARK, MD — Purdue men’s basketball brought an emphatic end to its three-game losing streak Sunday at Maryland.
The No. 12 Boilermakers dominated early and rolled to a 93-63 victory at Xfinity Center. It was Purdue’s first victory since Jan. 17, improving to 18-4, 8-3 in Big Ten play.
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Here’s what I liked and disliked, and what the win means.
What I liked in Purdue basketball’s win at Maryland
Purdue needed to re-assert itself in numerous areas, but especially in rebounding and defense.
Better fight on the boards showed up almost immediately – especially in how the Boilers scrapped and jumped on offensive rebounds. Trey Kaufman-Renn tussled for two in the final two minutes of the half – both leading to Fletcher Loyer 3s.
Maryland likely would struggle to defend Purdue on any night. When the Boilers also built a combined 27-4 edge in second chance points and points off turnovers, there was no escaping that crater.
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∎ Up until five games ago, Loyer was a 43.2% 3-point shooter since the start of his sophomore season. Then he hit a 5-for-21 skid, including three games in which he only attempted three 3s. He made his first try Sunday a couple of minutes in and made 5 of 7 before the end of the first half. His made 7 of 10 overall — matching his career high for makes — and his 29 points fell one short of the career high set in the opener against Evansville.
∎ Smith called for more self-accountability and harder play team-wide on his “Running Point” podcast earlier this week. Then he led by example Sunday. The stat line — 19 points and six assists against one turnover — counts as a baseline performance anymore. After voicing his concerns publicly, though, Smith had to bring the energy again Sunday, and did.
Smith speaks: What Purdue basketball discussed in Thursday’s team meeting, per Braden Smith
What I disliked in Purdue basketball’s win at Maryland
Who would have thought winning at Maryland would only be worth a Quad 3 win for NCAA…
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Publish date : 2026-02-01 20:08:00
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