WEST LAFAYETTE — CJ Cox gave Purdue fans Carsen Edwards flashbacks Friday night.
The freshman’s hot streak turned a matchup between top 12 teams into a heavy homecourt advantage.
The junior trio of Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith led the charge in No. 12 Purdue basketball‘s 87-78 win over second-ranked Alabama at Mackey Arena.
The Boilermakers continue to thrive on non-conference heavyweight matchups.
Purdue extended its non-conference regular season winning streak to 39 straight
It’s a streak that had its fair share of challenges: Duke, North Carolina, Tennessee, Villanova, Arizona. Gonzaga, Florida State and Marquette twice each.
And now, Alabama twice.
Purdue basketball turning point
Braden Smith went to the bench for a quick breather and freshman CJ Cox checked in just a little past the midway point of the second half.
With Alabama leading 65-63, it could’ve been an opportunity for the Crimson Tide to separate themselves.
Instead, Cox caught fire.
The freshman guard made three 3s in 52 seconds, flipping a two-point deficit into a 72-65 lead with 8:21 to go.
Fletcher Loyer does it again
For the second straight game, Fletcher Loyer beat the halftime buzzer with a 3.
Against Yale on Monday, Loyer faked a handoff, turned and fired as time expired.
Friday night Loyer curled to the same spot on the left wing with time running out. Braden Smith drew Loyer’s defender, passed to Loyer, who took one dribble past Jarin Stevenson, stepped back behind the 3-point line, and drained a 3 to give Purdue a 42-40 halftime lead.
3 stars
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue: Purdue made it obvious from the get-go it wanted to establish Kaufman-Renn down low. He missed his first three shots inside, but scored on a shot clock buzzer beater toss up that went in from 3. Eventually, Kaufman-Renn settled down inside, too. Kaufman-Renn was two rebounds shy of a double-double with 26 points and 8 boards.
Fletcher Loyer, Purdue: Loyer’s halftime buzzer beater put him in double figures. Loyer finished with 17 points, going 3 of 5 from 3 to continue his early-season hot streak.
Braden Smith, Purdue: The Boilermaker floor general didn’t shoot well early, going 3-for-10 in the first half. But he was steady in the clutch, showing why he’s in the conversation for All-American status. Smith finished with 17 points and 10 assists.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
