On a night where the whistle went against Purdue, and Caleb Furst and Trey Kaufman-Renn both fouled out, Purdue couldn't mustard the shots or rebounds late to overcome Michigan on the road, falling 75-73.

Braden Smith made a three-pointer with just over twenty seconds left to get Purdue within 73-70, but Danny Wolf made two free throws to push it back to five. Smith then dropped Wolf with a crossover ont he next play, and knocked down his second three of the half, pulling Purdue within 75-73.

Wolf would miss both his next two free throws, giving Purdue a shot with 6 seconds left, but with no timeouts, Smith would be forced to hoist up a shot from 35 feet that went just short and right.

Purdue would drop to three losses in the Big Ten conference, a half game behind Michigan now as the two split their two games this season.

Purdue's offense was too cold too often in Ann Arbor. After extending a lead to double-figures in the first half, Purdue finished giving up a 9-0 run to Michigan to take just a 37-30 lead into the half. Purdue went the final 3:30 without scoring in the first half.

Purdue's shot wasn't falling, certainly not enough to overcome a free throw disparity that was the entire story of the game. Michigan took 26 free throw attempts to Purdue's 8.


Braden Smith led the game with 24 points while Trey Kaufman-Renn had 22 points.

Purdue looked to be handing it to the Wolverines again, up 37-26 after a Fletcher Loyer three dropped, assisted by Trey Kaufman-Renn with a little over four minutes remaining in the first half. After Braden Smith dominated to the tune of 14 first half points, and on the heels of a thirty point beat down in West Lafayette, Purdue looked like a clear mismatch for Michigan.

Then Roddy Gayle Jr. scored a floater and hit two free throws, but the lead was still 37-30 and Purdue's offense was rolling.

Kaufman-Renn looked to keep that going, getting the ball in the paint and backing down his man. Then Kaufman-Renn did what he's done far too often in Purdue's last handful of games, he unnecessarily exagerrated his movements, lifted his shoulder and slammed into his defender. The turnover, his fourth of the game at the time, was more importantly his second foul of the half.

That foul trouble would plague Purdue all game. With Kaufman-Renn on the bench, Purdue's shooters failed convert good looks, and Purdue's butter to its bread was sitting on the bench. Purdue finished the half not scoring for more than three and half minutes. In that time, Michigan would go on a 9-0 run and all but erase Purdue's lead heading into the half.

After the game, Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Caleb Furst, and Matt Painter all talked to the media. It was clear that they found two things to be true: free throws didn't lose them game, but also, there's no way Trey Kaufman-Renn should take 19 shots and attempt 0 free throws.

That was the case in Purdue's shocking loss on the road to Michigan where the whistle tilted Michigan's way to the tune of 26 free throws to just 8 for Purdue.

Braden Smith shot 21 times in the game and also had zero free throw attempts.

TKR and Smith are two of the nation's best offensive weapons and both were effective from the floor, but despite a game steeped in physicality, neither managed to pull a whistle and get to the line.