No. 12 Purdue snapped its three-game skid in emphatic fashion, dismantling Maryland 93–63 on Sunday afternoon at the XFINITY Center. Behind Fletcher Loyer’s 29 points and seven three-pointers, the Boilermakers controlled the game wire-to-wire, while Maryland’s struggles deepened with its third straight loss — marking its worst conference start since 1988–89.
Purdue Sets the Tone Early
Trey Kaufman-Renn opened the scoring with a smooth hook shot, quickly followed by baskets from Darius Adams and Loyer’s back-to-back threes.
The Boilermakers raced to a 10–2 lead before the first media timeout, showcasing crisp ball movement and perimeter confidence.
By the second timeout, Purdue had stretched the margin to 19–7, fueled by Braden Smith’s passing and Daniel Jacobson’s inside finish.
First-Half Dominance
Maryland (8–13, 1–9 Big Ten) struggled with turnovers and rebounding, unable to generate consistent offense.
Andre Mills briefly kept the Terps afloat with consecutive threes, but Purdue answered with triples from Smith and Loyer.
At halftime, Purdue led 49–28, shooting 59% from the field and hitting nine threes.
The Boilermakers owned the glass (20–7 rebounding edge), converting 16 second-chance points compared to Maryland’s three. Their defense forced 11 points off turnovers, exposing Maryland’s ball-security issues.
Maryland’s Brief Spark, Purdue’s Response
The Terps opened the second half with energy: Solomon Washington scored on back-to-back possessions, and Mills added a three-point play to cut into the deficit.
The momentum was short-lived. Purdue quickly reasserted control behind Smith’s playmaking and Loyer’s relentless shooting, pushing the lead back into blowout territory.
The Boilermakers never looked back, cruising to a decisive 30-point victory.
Stat Leaders
Purdue: Loyer (29 pts, 7 threes), Smith (19 pts, 6 ast), Harris (12 pts), Kaufman-Renn (7 pts, 10 reb).
Maryland: Mills (18 pts), Adams (17 pts), Washington (14 pts).
Smith Joins Elite Company
In the first half, Braden Smith became just the fifth player in NCAA history to record 1,750 career points and 950 assists, joining Bobby Hurley, Keith Jennings, Greg Anthony, and Sherman Douglas. He is the only member of this group with at least 500 rebounds, underscoring his all-around impact.
What’s Next
Purdue returns home to face Oregon on Saturday afternoon.
Maryland looks to regroup when it hosts Ohio State on Thursday evening.
Follow Brandon Walker on all platforms: @bwalkerdadon