Boilermakers Power Through to Second Round

The Purdue Boilermakers had to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty, but they secured a 75-63 victory over High Point in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Purdue fans can breathe a sigh of relief as the fourth-seeded Boilers avoided early tournament heartbreak and punched their ticket to the second round.

It was Trey Kaufman-Renn who carried the load, dropping 21 points and grabbing eight rebounds, proving the Boilermakers can dominate in the paint. Braden Smith added 20 points and six assists, showing off his veteran leadership and steady hand in crunch time.

The game was a gritty battle early, with High Point hanging tough and cutting Purdue’s lead to just three midway through the second half. But Kaufman-Renn hit a clutch jumper to spark a 7-0 run, slamming the door on any Cinderella dreams for the Panthers.

The Boilermakers dominated inside, outscoring High Point 38-22 in the paint and outrebounding them 45-24.

Purdue will now face McNeese State in the next round, looking to keep their championship dreams alive.