Purdue basketball’s starters take control early in the second half in a 104-71 win over Queens in a first-round NCAA Tournament game. A 17-2 run extends Purdue’s lead to 25 points and it grows from there.
Here’s the rundown:
Over the first 35 minutes, Purdue makes 63% from the field and 12-of-21 3s.
Nasir Mann and Jordan Watford score 10 points each for Queens.
The Boilermakers (28-8) take a 5-game winning streak into Sunday’s game against the winner between Miami (Fla.) and Missouri.
Purdue basketball score tonight vs. Queens
Purdue 82, Queens 53, 7:18 left 2H: Omer Mayer has all 4 Purdue bench points.
It’s Fletcher Loyer time: Purdue basketball score tonight vs. Queens
Purdue 67, Queens 45, 17:15 left 2H: Fletcher Loyer keeps scoring, and is up to 11, the fourth Boiler in double figures.
Purdue basketball score tonight vs. Queens
Purdue 56, Queens 36, 17:15 left 2H: Fletcher Loyer is up to 100 made 3-pointers for the season. C.J. Cox reaches double-figure scoring with a 3-pointer on the first play of the half.
Purdue basketball score tonight vs. Queens
Purdue 45, Queens 33, halftime: The Boilermakers score 10 straight points in the closing minutes of the half and are hitting 60% from the field, led by record-setting guard Braden Smith with 15 and 5 assists. Trey Kaufman-Renn has 10.
Nasir Mann and Chris Ashby have 6 points each for the Royals, who are 44% from the field.
Purdue basketball score tonight vs. Queens
Purdue 35, Queens 28, 3:17 left 1H: Braden Smith has 13 points and Trey Kaufman-Renn 10 for Purdue. Oscar Cluff has 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocked shots. All 8 Queens players who have taken the court have scored.
Braden Smith sets career assists record: Purdue basketball score tonight vs. Queens
Purdue 24, Queens 17, 9:22 left 1H: Braden Smith feeds Trey Kaufman-Renn for his 1,077th career assist, a national record, with 12:11 to go. Smith has 9 points and Kaufman-Renn 8.
Purdue basketball score tonight vs. Queens
Purdue 13, Queens 10, 15:04 left 1H: The Boilermakers make their first 6 shots, the first 3 assisted by Oscar Cluff and an NCAA career record-tying dish by Braden Smith.
Braden Smith jersey swap. Why Purdue basketball guard ripped No. 3 jersey, wore No. 41
There was some confusion when Braden Smith came out of a break in Purdue’s Big Ten Tournament championship win with a No. 41 jersey and a blank nameplate.
No, there wasn’t blood that is the usual cause of a jersey swap. It was Braden Smith who ripped his jersey, “Superman style,” after a poor start to the game. He hit his first shot wearing No. 41, and nearly set the assists record in threads other than the No. 3 that will hang in Mackey Arena one day.
Smith said Thursday in St. Louis that he could have put the No. 3 jersey back on after it was sewn together at halftime. But why shake up a good thing?
Although it did make his No. 41 jersey on Purdue’s NIL store the top-selling jersey of all NIL stores.
Braden Smith to set NCAA assists record in Purdue basketball game
With his first assist Friday night, Braden Smith will tie the NCAA’s all-time assists record. And with his second, he’ll pass Duke’s Bobby Hurley, who finished with 1,076 to close his Duke career in 1993.
There is plenty to know about Braden Smith. He was an underrecruited guard out of Westfield, Indiana, the son of a former Miss Basketball in Arkansas. He’s always showed a cerebral look at the game, and his passing skills grew as he developed.
And, this season, he hunted assists more than his shots (he’s Westfield’s all-time leading scorer, after all). But a strong run in the Big Ten Tournament allows that pressure of the assists record to ease. He can play freely, and may be his best self.
Who is Bobby Hurley? Former Duke guard will see NCAA assists record fall
Bobby Hurley played at Duke from 1989-93. He had little pressure to break the assists record in his final season, and did so in 140 games — fewer than Braden Smith (tonight is 146). Hurley also was a two-time national championship, point guard for the Blue Devils’ title runs in 1991 and 1992.
Hurley went on to be drafted seventh overall in the 1993 NBA Draft to the Sacramento Kings. He played out his rookie contract, four-and-a-half years with the Kings and finishing with Vancouver, before his NBA playing days ended in 1998.
Hurley has spent the last 13 seasons roaming the sidelines. First as Buffalo’s coach, and then as Arizona State’s for the last 11 seasons. He’s 227-187 and made four NCAA Tournament appearances, but his Sun Devils teams went 44-54 over the last three seasons and he was fired earlier this month.
Oscar Cluff Purdue basketball player stats, history
Oscar Cluff is on a heater. He averaged 17.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game during Purdue’s Big Ten Tournament championship run. The double-double machine (eight this season) was brought in to be a premiere rebounder and efficient scorer around the rim, and he’s elevated his play after a lull during the conference regular season.
His journey is a fascinating one. He intended to be a boilermaker (seriously) in his native Australia. His basketball journey started at junior colleges, then Washington State, then South Dakota State and now Purdue. And he may even get an extra year of eligibility due to his JuCo route.
Fletcher Loyer Purdue basketball player stats, history
Fletcher Loyer is shooting 40.7% from 3-point range for his career, and his 42.1% mark leads the Big Ten this season. Though that is down from 44.4% in both his sophomore and junior seasons.
Loyer is a native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and his brother Foster played at Michigan State. The Loyer’s father is John Loyer, a NBA coach and scout.
Where is Queens University? Former all-girls seminary school makes first March Madness appearance
Oscar Cluff, an Australian, was asked where Queens was. The clip surfaced around the interwebs and made it to the campus of Queens University, located in Charlotte. But it’s hard to fault Cluff, Royals players said Thursday, because most of them didn’t know when they were being recruited, either.
Here is more on Queens:
Has Purdue men’s basketball won a national championship?
No, the Boilermakers haven’t won a national championship tournament in men’s basketball. They twice finished runner-up in 1969 and 2024. They finished third in 1980. They also were awarded the Helms National championship in 1932, when John Wooden was an All American.
What channel is Purdue Boilermakers vs Queens Royals game on TV tonight, March 20? How to watch Purdue-Queens March Madness 2026 NCAA tournament game live
The Purdue Boilermakers and Queens Royals will air on truTV Friday, March 20, 2026.
Watch NCAA tournament action on Sling TV
What time is Purdue Boilermakers vs Queens Royals game start tonight, March 20? When is Purdue-Queens March Madness 2026 NCAA tournament game live
The Purdue Boilermakers and Queens Royals will play on truTV at 7:35 p.m. ET, Friday, March 20, 2026.
Watch March Madness live on Sling TV
How to stream Purdue-Queens game, tonight, March 20. Where to watch Queens-Purdue March Madness 2026 NCAA tournament game live
The Purdue Boilermakers and Queens Royals will stream via SlingTV at 7:35 p.m. ET, Friday, March 20, 2026. Fans can download SlingTV in the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
Watch NCAA tournament action on Sling TV
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue basketball recap vs. Queens: Boilers roll behind Braden Smith’s record performance
Reporting by Scott Horner, Nathan Baird, Sam King and Aaron Ferguson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
