Boilers win Rady Children’s Invitational

On November 30, 2024By Littum

SAN DIEGO — Purdue basketball can add a thriller of a finish to its list of valuable early-season experiences.

Myles Colvin’s put-back of a Braden Smith miss with under a second to play lifted the Boilermakers to an 80-78 victory over Ole Miss in the championship of the Rady Children’s Invitational.

Purdue won its fourth consecutive early season championship and its ninth consecutive game in these events.

At one point it appeared that the No. 12 Boilermakers would sail to another championship. They led by as many as 17 in the first half, while Ole Miss threw up a series of brick-and-mortar 3-pointers.

The 24th-ranked Rebels found their form, though, hitting 9-of-11 and six straight in a stretch that bridged the two halves.

The Boilermakers went scoreless for nearly five minutes midway through the second half. Ole Miss used the drought to get going. The Rebels played harder around the rim in a key stretch, and Dre Davis’ two free throws with 12:10 left gave them their first lead, 59-58.

Then Jaemyn Brakefield took over down the stretch, hit a deep 3, drove for an and-one layup and swiped a cross-court pass and stormed in for a dunk. Ole Miss led 67-60 with 9:12 to play.

Purdue basketball turning point

Fletcher Loyer hit a 3 to cut the Ole Miss lead to 75-74 with under four minutes left. On the ensuing possession, Myles Colvin forced a turnover and took it in for a layup while drawing a foul.

After a defensive stop, Braden Smith drove the court for a layup and a 78-75 lead.

Colvin’s early spark

Purdue jumped out to an 8-0 lead and Colvin turned the ignition. He turned a steal into a layup on the game’s opening possession, then capped the Boilers’ first offensive set with a 3.

He collected five points, two rebounds and a steal in the first two minutes. Also had another 3-pointer rim out and blocked a shot early.

Colvin laid the foundation, and then the shooting of Loyer and Smith helped push the first-half lead as high as 17.

Colvin also provided a spark to start the second half by hitting a 3 and knocking off a backdoor cut.

3 stars

Braden Smith, Purdue: Entered having made 6 of his last 22 field goals over three games, with two 11-point performances producing goosebumps. Came alive midway through the first half and scored nine straight points via three 3-pointers and forced an Ole Miss timeout. He finished with 18 points, 11 assists and six rebounds.

Trey Kaufman-Renn: Received a hard-earned ovation from the mostly pro-Purdue crowd when he checked out late in the first half. When Ole Miss’ perimeter shooting finally warmed up, Smith kept feeding Kaufman-Renn in the paint. Yet he also made a big impact with his passing and continues to work for a more rebounding presence. He led the Boilers with 25 points and 13 rebounds.

Myles Colvin, Purdue: In addition to the game winner, Colvin scored 20 points, made 3 of 5 from 3-point range and provided a defensive boost with a pair of steals. His work to start both halves was crucial – thought not as crucial as his play in the last second.

What’s next

This trip to San Diego started a tough six-game stretch. Purdue now turns its attention to the start of the Big Ten season, traveling to Penn State on Thursday and facing Maryland at home on Sunday.

Then comes a pair of Saturday games against SEC opponents on somewhat neutral courts. Texas A&M comes to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the Indy Classic on Dec. 14. Then the Boilermakers travel to Birmingham, Ala., on Dec. 21 to face what might be the best team in the country right now: Auburn.