michigan vs purdue: No. 1 Michigan Pulls Away in 91-80 Win at Mackey Arena
On Tuesday, Feb. 17, in a nationally watched Big Ten matchup that tipped at 6: 30 p. m. ET, top-ranked Michigan outlasted No. 7 Purdue 91-80 at Mackey Arena. The victory left the Wolverines with a commanding conference position and handed the Boilermakers a loss that shifts their focus toward NCAA tournament seeding.
Michigan’s first-half surge and second-chance edge set the tone
Michigan opened the game with a flurry of offensive rebounds and opportunistic scoring that quickly buried Purdue in a first-half hole. The visitors outworked Purdue on the offensive glass, outscoring the Boilermakers 14-4 in second-chance points before intermission and building a 16-point lead at the break. Those extra possessions were pivotal — Michigan recorded multiple extended possessions, including three-shot sequences that culminated in 3-pointers, turning hustle plays and tip-outs into easy points.
Elliot Cadeau paced the Wolverines with 17 points, four rebounds and seven assists, providing steady playmaking throughout. Michigan’s balanced attack and aggressive rebounding neutralized one of Purdue’s strengths and forced the Boilermakers into a catch-up stance for much of the night.
Purdue’s late rally, individual efforts and what went wrong
Purdue received a standout performance from Trey Kaufman-Renn, who finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds, though he needed heavy volume to get there (12 of 26 shooting). Braden Smith was held scoreless in the first half for a second straight outing but erupted for 20 points after halftime, giving the home crowd hope. Omer Mayer provided sparks with timely 3s and an athletic finger-roll layup when the offense stalled.
Still, the Boilermakers’ early offensive miscues and missed close-range looks proved costly. Purdue made just 4 of 9 layups in the opening half and failed to generate any pick-and-roll or lob finishes early, limiting high-percentage scoring opportunities. The bench, usually a reliable complement, produced little for extended stretches; several key reserves were scoreless entering the game's closing minutes while the team struggled to put together a sustained run — the longest was just 6-0.
Turnovers were not the primary culprit: Purdue committed only three in the first half and actually led the points-off-turnovers battle at halftime. But Michigan’s dominance on the glass and timely hustle plays erased that advantage and kept Purdue from turning momentum into scoreboard swings big enough to close the gap.
Implications for the Big Ten and what comes next
The win pushed Michigan to 25-1 overall and 15-1 in Big Ten play with four conference games remaining, reinforcing its hold on the league race. For Purdue, the 21-5 mark and 11-4 conference record leave the Boilermakers mathematically alive for the title but realistically shifting emphasis toward protecting or improving their NCAA tournament seed.
Mackey Arena’s blackout-themed crowd was loud early, but Michigan’s 20-point advantage in the first half drained much of the building’s momentum. Purdue mounted second-half runs and clawed back into contention, yet could not sustain defensive stops when it mattered most. The Boilermakers will return to the drawing board on how to convert close-range chances and generate more consistent bench production against top defenses.
Michigan, meanwhile, leaves West Lafayette with more than just a win: it showed how a top-ranked team can combine efficient shooting, deep rebounding and opportunistic hustle to control a high-stakes road environment. The Wolverines now head into a pivotal stretch of the schedule with a clearer path toward a Big Ten crown, while Purdue shifts focus to seeding and cleaning up the first-half lapses that decided this game.
