There are several reasons why Purdue just endured its first four-game losing streak in five years, among them that the Boilermakers have consistently struggled to guard inside the arc in the absence of two-time CBS Sports National Player of the Year Zach Edey. And, yes, that remained an issue Friday, when UCLA shot 59.4% from 2-point range against Purdue, Yuck. But the best way to offset a poor 2-point defense is with a great 3-point offense, and the Boilermakers used that to beat UCLA 76-66 inside Mackey Arena.
Purdue took 22 3-pointers against UCLA and made 11 of them. Braden Smith was 6-of-10 from beyond the arc. Fletcher Loyer was 3-of-5.
"And I thought we took care of the basketball the whole night," said Purdue coach Matt Painter, noting another thing that's been an issue for his team from time to time — but it wasn't against UCLA.
Purdue finished with just nine turnovers.
Trey Kaufman-Renn led all scorers with 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting to enhance his candidacy for Big Ten Player of the Year. The 6-foot-9 junior is now averaging 19.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 30.3 minutes per game. He's shooting a career-high 61.0% from the field, which is comparable to what Edey shot from the field in the previous two seasons.
Purdue remains No. 16 in Saturday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. Next up for the Boilermakers is Tuesday's home finale against Rutgers. They'll then close the regular-season Friday at Illinois.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Johni Broome finished with 24 points and nine rebounds in Wednesday's 106-76 win over Ole Miss. The Tigers' next game is Saturday at Kentucky. | -- | 32-6 |
| 2 |  | Kon Knueppel finished with 20 points and five rebounds in Tuesday's 97-60 win at Miami. The Blue Devils' next game is Saturday against Florida State. | -- | 35-4 |
| 3 |  | Milos Uzan finished with 22 points and two steals in Monday's 69-61 win at Texas Tech. The Cougars' next game is Saturday against Cincinnati. | -- | 35-5 |
| 4 |  | Chris Youngblood finished with 27 points and three rebounds in Tuesday's 111-73 win over Mississippi State. The Crimson Tide's next game is Saturday at Tennessee. | -- | 28-9 |
| 5 |  | Zakai Zeigler finished with 17 points and three assists in Tuesday's 65-59 win at LSU. The Vols' next game is Saturday against Alabama. | -- | 30-8 |
| 6 |  | Jase Richardson finished with 15 points and eight rebounds in Wednesday's 58-55 win at Maryland. The Spartans' next game is Sunday against Wisconsin. | -- | 30-7 |
| 7 |  | Thomas Haugh was 3-of-11 from the field in Tuesday's 88-83 loss at Georgia. The Gators' next game is Saturday against Texas A&M. | -- | 36-4 |
| 8 |  | RJ Luis Jr. finished with 24 points and four rebounds in Wednesday's 76-70 win at Butler. The Red Storm's next game is Saturday against Seton Hall. | -- | 31-5 |
| 9 |  | John Blackwell finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds in Tuesday's 88-62 win over Washington. The Badgers' next game is Sunday at Michigan State. | -- | 27-10 |
| 10 |  | Vladislav Goldin finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds in Thursday's 84-82 win over Rutgers. The Wolverines' next game is Sunday against Illinois. | -- | 27-10 |
| 11 |  | Andersson Garcia was 1-of-5 from the field in Wednesday's 86-84 loss to Vanderbitl. The Aggies' next game is Saturday at Florida. | -- | 23-11 |
| 12 |  | Tamin Lipsey was 3-of-11 from the field in Tuesday's 74-68 loss at Oklahoma State. The Cyclones' next game is Saturday against Arizona. | -- | 25-10 |
| 13 |  | Christian Anderson was 2 of 11 from the field in Monday's 69-61 loss to Houston. The Red Raiders' next game is Saturday at Kansas. | -- | 28-9 |
| 14 |  | Anthony Robinson finished with 14 points and eight assists in Tuesday's 101-72 win over South Carolina. The Tigers' next game is Saturday at Vanderbilt. | -- | 22-12 |
| 15 |  | Otega Oweh finished with 28 points and six rebounds in Wednesday's 83-82 win at Oklahoma. The Wildcats' next game is Saturday against Auburn. | -- | 24-12 |
| 16 |  | Trey Kaufman-Renn finished with 29 points and three rebounds in Friday's 76-66 win over UCLA. The Boilermakers' next game is Tuesday against Rutgers. | -- | 24-12 |
| 17 |  | Chucky Hepburn finished with 15 points and six assists in Tuesday's 71-66 win at Virginia Tech. The Cardinals' next game is Saturday against Pitt. | -- | 27-8 |
| 18 |  | Caleb Love finished with 23 points and seven assists in Wednesday's 83-66 win over Utah. The Wildcats' next game is Saturday at Iowa State. | -- | 24-13 |
| 19 |  | Kam Jones finished with 17 points and seven assists in Tuesday's 82-52 win over Providence. The Golden Eagles' next game is Saturday at Georgetown. | -- | 23-11 |
| 20 |  | Claudell Harris Jr. was 1 of 8 from the field in Tuesday's 111-73 loss at Alabama. The Bulldogs' next game is Saturday against LSU. | -- | 21-13 |
| 21 |  | Ryan Kalkbrenner finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds in Wednesday's 75-65 win over DePaul. The Bluejays' next game is Saturday at Xavier. | -- | 25-11 |
| 22 |  | Ian Schieffelin finished with 24 points and nine rebounds in Wednesday's 83-68 win over Notre Dame. The Tigers' next game is Saturday at Virginia. | -- | 27-7 |
| 23 |  | Derik Queen was 2-of-11 from the field in Wednesday's 58-55 loss to Michigan State. The Terrapins' next game is Saturday at Penn State. | -- | 27-9 |
| 24 |  | Dain Dainja finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds in Wednesday's 84-72 win over Rice. The Tigers' next game is Sunday at UAB. | -- | 29-6 |
| 25 |  | Paulius Murauskas finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds in Thursday's 58-55 win at Loyola Marymount. The Gaels' next game is Saturday against Oregon State. | -- | 29-6 |
| 26 |  | Nate Bittle finished with 23 points and six rebounds in Saturday's 77-73 overtime win at Wisconsin. The Ducks' next game is Saturday against USC. | -- | 25-10 |
