No. 20 Purdue beats Nebraska 104-68 to extend winning streak to 5 games

Updated Jan. 12, 2025 2:20 p.m. ET

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — C.J. Cox scored a career-high 23 points and Fletcher Loyer added 19 to help No. 20 Purdue to a 104-68 romp over Nebraska on Sunday.

Cox, a freshman who was averaging 5.4 points, made 9 of 11 shots, including 5 of 7 3-pointers. Loyer hit 5 of 6 3-point shots for the Boilermakers (13-4, 5-1 Big Ten)

Purdue hit four of its first six shots from long distance and finished 19 for 33 from 3-point range.

Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half and Myles Colvin added 14 points for Purdue. Braden Smith had a team-leading 14 assists.

Connor Essegian scored 17 points and Brice Williams added nine, well off his 19.4 scoring average, for the Cornhuskers (12-4, 2-3).

Purdue shot 64% in the opening half and built a 45-28 lead. The Cornhuskers shot 52%, but made just 2 of 11 3-point attempts.

Purdue had a 33-20 rebounding edge and held a 22-11 advantage in points off turnovers. The Boilermakers had 10 turnovers, seven less than Nebraska.

Takeaways

Nebraska: Although the Cornhuskers shot 48%, they had no answer for stopping Purdue and lost their second straight game. Nebraska did struggle from 3-point range, making just 6 of 27 3-point shots.

Purdue: The Boilermakers have been dominant during their five-game winning streak. Purdue has won by an average of 22 points and extended its home winning streak to 26 games.

Key moment

Kaufman-Renn made two consecutive baskets to cap a 14-0 run. First, Kaufman-Renn made a layup and then got a rebound of his own miss and hit a jumper in the lane to give Purdue a 24-7 lead. The Cornhuskers never got close the rest of the way.

Key stat

The Boilermakers shot 63% from the field, including 58% from 3-point range.

Up next

Purdue will play at Washington on Wednesday, while Nebraska hosts Rutgers on Thursday.

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