WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Trey Kaufman-Renn scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and freshman C.J. Cox scored nine of his 11 points during a game-turning 13-0 run midway through the second half to help No. 13 Purdue get past No. 2 Alabama 87-78 on Friday night.
The Boilermakers (4-0) have won 21 consecutive home games and 25 straight in November. They have not lost a regular-season nonconference game since December 2020.
Braden Smith had 17 points and 10 assists as he moved into third place on Purdue’s career assists list with 483. Fletcher Loyer also scored 17.
Alabama (3-1) was led by freshman Labaron Philon, who had a season-high 18 points off the bench before fouling out with 2:02 to play. Grant Nelson added 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Mark Sears scored 15 in a matchup between two of last season’s Final Four teams.
Takeaways
Alabama: Coach Nate Oats rolled the dice playing such an early road game against a team so traditionally strong at home, especially in November. But the Crimson Tide learned lessons that will help them in the long run.
Purdue: The Boilermakers might have turned the corner. After three straight rocky performances, coach Matt Painter’s squad delivered its best game yet. If Purdue continues playing this way, it could be the Big Ten contender everyone expects.
Key moment
After Alabama took its largest lead at 65-59, Kaufman-Renn answered with a basket and Cox made three straight 3-pointers to fuel a 13-0 run that gave the Boilermakers a 72-65 advantage with 8:17 to play. They never trailed again.
Key stats
Purdue committed just three turnovers and beat the highest-ranked nonconference opponent in Mackey Arena history. The only other time it played a non-Big Ten team ranked in the top two came in the arena’s first game — a 73-71 loss to No. 1 UCLA in December 1967.
Up next
Alabama faces another Big Ten foe, Illinois, on Wednesday in Birmingham, Alabama.
Purdue visits No. 15 Marquette on Tuesday.
