michigan vs purdue: No. 1 Michigan Outmuscles Purdue, 91-80 at Mackey Arena
WEST LAFAYETTE, Feb. 17 — A dominant first half and relentless work on the offensive glass propelled top-ranked Michigan to a 91-80 victory over No. 7 Purdue at Mackey Arena. The road win extended Michigan’s march toward a Big Ten title and left Purdue with a harder path in the league race — one that may be more about NCAA seeding than chasing the conference crown.
Michigan builds a decisive first-half edge
Michigan opened the game by imposing its will on the boards and converting extra possessions into points. The Wolverines outscored Purdue 14-4 on the offensive glass in the first half and rode that advantage to a 16-point halftime lead. Michigan turned hustle plays — timely tip-outs and aggressive pursuit of loose balls — into quick second-chance scores and kept Purdue from establishing consistent offensive rhythm.
Point guard play and ball movement helped sustain the Wolverines’ early run; a steady facilitating performance complemented scoring from multiple spots. Michigan’s balanced attack and depth flipped the typical script in this matchup, with the visitors getting meaningful contributions from beyond their starters and forcing Purdue into difficult defensive assignments.
Purdue rallies in stretches but falls short
Purdue battled back in the second half, fueled in large part by a huge outing from Trey Kaufman-Renn, who finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Kaufman-Renn logged most of his scoring with efficient interior work and persistent offensive rebounds, but he needed a heavy workload — 26 field-goal attempts — to produce those totals.
Braden Smith, who had a scoreless first half for a second straight outing, erupted for 20 points after halftime and helped Purdue chip into the deficit. The Boilermakers, however, struggled to string together sustained defensive stops and never fully closed the gap. Early missed layups and a lack of high-percentage finishes in the first 20 minutes put Purdue on the back foot; the team made only 4 of 9 first-half layup attempts and failed to generate easy pick-and-roll or lob opportunities to big men at the rim.
Bench production tilted in Michigan’s favor. Purdue’s reserves were largely quiet until late, with several rotation players scoreless well into the final minutes. A Blackout crowd at Mackey Arena quieted as Michigan’s early lead grew, and the usual home-court energy never fully returned to swing momentum in Purdue’s favor.
Implications for the Big Ten and next steps
The victory pushed Michigan to 25-1 overall and 15-1 in Big Ten play with four conference games remaining, reinforcing its position atop the league standings. Michigan’s mix of efficient offense, second-chance scoring and depth makes it difficult to unseat over the season’s final stretch, and the Wolverines will now carry this result into the rest of a pivotal road week, which includes a high-profile trip to Washington, D. C., to face another top opponent.
Purdue falls to 21-5 and 11-4 in league play. The loss doesn’t eliminate the Boilermakers mathematically, but it makes a realistic run at the conference title unlikely; the focus now shifts toward protecting and improving NCAA tournament seeding. The Boilermakers showed resilience and potential — notably in Kaufman-Renn’s performance and Smith’s second-half surge — but the team must find more consistent finishing and bench scoring to change outcomes against elite opponents.
Key takeaways: Michigan’s dominance on the offensive glass and depth decided the night, while Purdue’s missed early chances and lack of sustained defensive runs made comeback attempts insufficient. With both teams approaching the season’s final month, each will walk away with clear priorities: Michigan to maintain momentum and protect its place atop the standings, Purdue to shore up finishing touches and secure a favorable spot in March.
