No. 1 Purdue basketball cruised to a 97-79 win over the two-time reigning champion Akron Zips on Sunday night.
It was coach Matt Painter’s 500th win. Three Boilers had double-doubles in the victory. Trey Kaufman-Renn matched a career high with 15 rebounds to go with 17 points. Oscar Cluff had 14 points and 14 boards, and Braden Smith added 16 points with 10 assists.
Fletcher Loyer had 16 first-half points to help set the tone. By the way, freshman Omer Mayer had 14 points, six assists and four rebounds.
Here’s a recap, highlights and more.
Matt Painter wins 500th game as Purdue basketball coach
Three double-doubles for Purdue as Matt Painter wins his 500th career game:
Braden Smith with 16 points, 10 assists; Trey Kaufman-Renn with 17 points and 15 rebounds; and Oscar Cluff with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Purdue 97, Akron 79, FINAL
Daniel Jacobsen shoves Akron defender for flagrant 1 foul
The Purdue sophomore went out of his way after securing a defensive rebound to shove a smaller Akron guard. The Zips split the free throws.
Purdue 95, Akron 71, 2:45 2H
Oscar Cluff on a roll. Purdue basketball score tonight vs Akron
Oscar Cluff has scored eight of Purdue’s last 10 points. He has 14 with 14 boards.
Purdue 82, Akron 62, 6:52 2H
Oscar Cluff has first double-double with Purdue basketball
A feed from Omer Mayer helped fellow newcome Oscar Cluff get the 24th double-double of his career. The South Dakota State transfer has 12 points and 13 rebounds, his first double-double with the Boilers.
Purdue 80, Akron 55, 9:03 2H
Omer Mayer Purdue basketball stats
Omer Mayer probably should have shot one open look, then passed up a late closeout 3 and dumped it down to Daniel Jacobsen for a bucket. Mayer has nine points, three assists and two rebounds.
Purdue 72, Akron 51, 11:43 2H
Purdue owning rebounds against Akron, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Oscar Cluff stats
Purdue has more offensive rebounds (15) than Akron does total (14). Trey Kaufman-Renn has a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Oscar Cluff has six points and 12 boards.
It’s an 11-0 edge on the glass to open the half for Purdue.
Purdue 64, Akron 46, 15:06 2H
Purdue basketball scoring run forces Akron timeout
Braden Smith has four points and a pair of assists during the opening minutes of the second half. Purdue has opened up its biggest lead of the game with an 8-1 push.
Purdue 62, Akron 46, 16:16 2H
Omer Mayer Purdue basketball stats
The freshman from Israel has nine points, two rebounds and a dime off the bench. He is 3 for 4 and 2 for 3 on 3s.
Braden Smith stats. How many assists does Braden Smith have?
A pedestrian eight points and six assists for Braden Smith at the break. He’s only 2 for 6 but has done plenty to impact this game.
Fletcher Loyer stats tonight in Purdue basketball game vs Akron
Fletcher Loyer has a game-high 16 points. He’s 4 for 6 and has made all three 3-pointers.
Purdue basketball score tonight against Akron. Purdue basketball stats today
The Boilers used a 12-4 push to extend their lead to a game-high 13. They shot 52% from the field and were 8 for 12 on 3-pointers. Purdue had a 21-14 rebounding advantage, scored 10 points off four Akron turnovers, and had edges of 14-6 in bench points and 14-10 in the paint. They assisted 10 of 16 makes.
Purdue 52, Akron 39, HALF
Akron heating up, cuts into Purdue lead. Score of Purdue basketball game today
The Zips have made four of their last seven shots, hitting a trio of triples and a layup, to slice a lead that was once 11 points. Tavari Johnson leads the way with 12 points.
Purdue 40, Akron 35, 3:29 1H
Depth wearing down Akron. Purdue basketball score today
The Boilers went on a 21-7 run through the middle parts of the first half to take control of the game. Akron’s Mahaffey brothers went out with foul trouble, and Purdue’s depth began to wear the Zips out. Purdue has an 11-3 edge in bench scoring.
Purdue 32, Akron 24, 7:38 1H
Daniel Jacobsen hits first 3-pointer. How tall is Daniel Jacobsen?
The 7-foot-4 sophomore, Daniel Jacobsen, lined up his first 3-point make here in the first half. See it below:
Omer Mayer helps Purdue basketball run to take lead. Akron coach John Groce takes timeout. Score of Purdue basketball game today
Omer Mayer came in right away and hit a 3, then skied for a rebound and pushed the ball up with a transition pass. The Boilers are on an 8-2 push to take their largest lead of the game. Fletcher Loyer has a game-high 11 points.
Purdue 25, Akron 19, 11:16 1H
Oscar Cluff apprenticeship as a boilermaker before joining Purdue basketball
You heard that correctly, Oscar Cluff was destined to be a Boilermaker. Here’s what IndyStar Purdue insider Nathan Baird wrote in the spring:
Trey Kaufman-Renn saves possession by diving on floor, calling timeout
Trey Kaufman-Renn isn’t letting the hip injury effect his mindset. He dove on the floor for a loose ball and called a timeout as the Boilers can try to take the lead, trailing Akron 14-12.
Why every high school kid should watch Purdue basketball’s Braden Smith
Former Wisconsin guard Jordan Taylor had a strong belief that players everywhere can learn how to operate the pick-and-roll from Braden Smith. Here’s what he said:
Purdue basketball score tonight vs Akron
Akron is 5 for 6 and 2 for 3 on 3s to start. Purdue is 3 for 5, made its two 3-point shots and three free throws. A brisk offensive pace for each team to start tonight’s game.
Akron 12, Purdue 11, 15:58 1H
Fletcher Loyer paces Purdue basketball offense vs Akron
Fletcher Loyer has eight points on three shots to start this game.
Former Illinois coach John Groce leads Akron at Purdue basketball
Yes, that’s former Illinois coach John Groce coaching Akron. He was also an assistant under Thad Matta, Butler’s coach, when they were at Ohio State.
When will Purdue basketball vs Akron start?
Tip-off time for Purdue and Akron is set for 7:40 p.m., per Big Ten Network.
Akron basketball starters at Purdue
Here are the first five for the Zips: Shammah Scott, Eric Mahaffey, Tavari Johnson, Evan Mahaffey and Amani Lyles.
Purdue basketball starting lineup vs Akron
No surprises to the Boilermakers’ first five: C.J. Cox, Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff.
Liam Murphy shoulder injury. Purdue basketball injury report vs Akron
Reserve forward Liam Murphy, a transfer from North Florida, will not play tonight for the Boilers. A source indicated it may be a multi-game absence to IndyStar’s Nathan Baird. More here:
What time does Purdue basketball play Akron tonight, Nov. 16? Start time for Purdue basketball vs Akron tonight, Nov. 16
The Purdue-Akron game is at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Where to watch Purdue basketball vs. Akron tonight, Nov. 16? What channel is the Purdue-Akron game tonight, Nov. 16?
TV: BTN
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Purdue basketball vs. Akron predictions tonight, Nov. 16
Which Purdue bench player is due for a breakout?
Nathan Baird, IndyStar, Purdue 87-72: “While this isn’t a top-10 matchup, the Zips might be the best team in the MAC and will push the tempo. This is another good defensive test for the Boilermakers.
“Gicarri Harris has scored only seven points in three games and is 2-for-15 from the field. Both of those makes are 3s, though, and his chance to get in rhythm with longer minutes will come eventually.”
Sam King, Journal & Courier: “Omer Mayer showed a glimpse of what he can do while spelling Braden Smith for an extended stretch at Alabama. Now that the Boilermakers have found their footing, I don’t expect them to struggle in Mackey Arena against Akron. That may mean more minutes for Mayer. This time, the freshman may show more than a glimpse.”
Where to listen to Purdue basketball vs. Akron tonight, Nov. 16
Who are Purdue’s best players? Purdue basketball roster
Purdue basketball upcoming schedule
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: No. 1 Purdue basketball vs Akron recap: Team effort for Matt Painter’s milestone win
Reporting by Scott Horner, Nathan Baird, Sam King and Aaron Ferguson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
