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Published Dec 21, 2024
Game Wrap | #2 Auburn 87, #16 Purdue 69 | Rock bottom in Birmingham
Casey Bartley  •  BoilerUpload
Basketball Columnist
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@CBartleyRivals

Purdue's glimmer of holiday light faded out in Birmingham as it'll go into its Christmas break loser's of 3 of its last 4 games after a 87-69 drubbing at the hands of Auburn in The Battle of Birmingham.


On a night of frustrations, the country's best player, Johni Broome, playing through an injured shoulder, led what looked like the best team in the country in #2 Auburn who move to 11-1 on the season.


For #16 Purdue, an 8-4 record is the least of its worries. Purdue will likely wake up ahead of Christmas unranked for the first time in four years.


Purdue was looking to make a statement after hosting its own semi-neutral game against Texas A&M last Saturday, instead, Purdue put itself behind the eight ball early, again.

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On Auburn's first possession, Chad Baker-Mazara beat Fletcher Loyer on a back door cut for an open lay up. Braden Smith responded with a three before Purdue gave up back to back three-pointers to trail 8-3.


Purdue's big three would respond, with Trey Kaufman-Renn scoring at the basket, Fletcher Loyer hitting a pull up, and Braden Smith turning a steal into a lay up for Kaufman-Renn. After traded baskets, another Purdue steal, this time by Camden Heide, Kaufman-Renn would hit one of two free throws to tie the game at 12-12 just over five minutes into the game.


It looked like we had a good one on our hands as two of the country's premiere teams, coaches, and programs squared off.

Instead, Purdue couldn't keep Auburn off the offensive glass, couldn't put the basketball in the basket, and couldn't stay with Kenpom's highest rated offense of all-time.


Two offensive rebounds for Auburn led to a Jahki Howard three-pointer that extended Auburn's lead to 22-15 in the first half. Kaufman-Renn would miss the front end of two one and ones as Johni Broome got going for Auburn. Broome finished an and-one to go up 25-17 and then gave Auburn a 12 point lead with a lay up.


A Myles Colvin missed front end would keep the bleeding going for Purdue as Broome responded with a floater at the other end to give Auburn a 35-19 lead.


Purdue's freshman CJ Cox hit a buzzer beater at the end of the first half to cut the lead to 41-26 going into half. Cox was just the fourth Boiler to score in the game.

Auburn wasn't done in the second half. Dylan Cardwell started the second half with an alley-oop dunk, Kaufman-Renn turned the ball over at the other end, and a Miles Kelly mid-range jumper by Auburn was followed by a Broome alley-oop to jump on Purdue, 47-26.


That lead extended to 72-39 with 7:01 to go in the game on another Broome lay up.


The rest of the game was left to Purdue's freshmen and bench to pull the deficit in, drawing the game to 87-69.

Offense continues to struggle

Purdue's shooting was abysmal in the first half, going 10 of 30 from the floor, 2 of 11 from three, and most frustrating of all, just 4 of 11 from the line.


Purdue's three-point shooting got going in garbage time, but today's game was a tale of an offense that doesn't know how to create looks for itself after being one of the nation's most efficient units the last handful of seasons.


Trey Kaufman-Renn led Purdue's starters with 15 points on 7 of 10 shooting, but was just 1 of 7 from the free throw line.

Myles Colvin and Camden Heide combined to go 0-5 on the game and score 0 points.

Braden Smith was 3 of 12 from the floor and Fletcher Loyer matched that 3 of 12 including missing all four of his three-point attempts.

Freshman hope?

Amongst forty minutes of frustration, Purdue's freshman showed a glimmer of hope.


Raleigh Burgess knocked down a three-pointer late int he second half after getting extended minutes.


But it was the guards, Gicarri Harris and CJ Cox, that gave Purdue maybe its only burst of the night.

Cox in particular found his jumper, scoring 16 points, knocking down three three-pointers while also drawing seven free throw attempts and making them all. The free throw attempts all came on three-poinit shot attempts.


Gicarri Harris played tough defense and finally got a three-pointer to fall.

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