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Braden Smith Collects 16 More Assists as No. 18 Purdue Beats Northwestern 81-68 in Big Ten Tourney
Braden Smith recorded 16 assists as Purdue leveraged size and ball movement to overcome Northwestern’s offensive struggles and advance in the Big Ten Tournament.
- On Thursday, March 12, 2026, Purdue defeated Northwestern 81-68 at the United Center as Braden Smith had 16 assists and moved to 1,045 career assists, second in NCAA history.
- Without Arrinten Page, Northwestern's frontcourt was compromised, and fatigue from playing its third game in as many days helped Purdue stay fresher.
- Purdue got balanced production and efficient ball movement, outrebounding Northwestern 35-23 with a 38-18 paint advantage and committing just seven turnovers.
- Despite the loss, Northwestern's Nick Martinelli scored 25 and finished with a school single-season scoring total of 759 points, and Purdue advances to face Nebraska on Friday.
- Smith now needs 31 assists to tie Bobby Hurley's NCAA record of 1,076.3 assists as he moves past 1,045 career assists, observers framing his night as a historic chase.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Idaho Press
Purdue guard Braden Smith moves closer to Bobby Hurley for NCAA career assists record
CHICAGO (AP) — Braden Smith used his left hand to break up the pass along the sideline. The ball popped into the air and headed out of bounds before Smith jumped forward, fully extended, and tapped it ahead to Omer…
Big Ten tournament: Northwestern can't handle Purdue in 81-68 third-round loss
Beating lowly Penn State was one thing. Getting the better of Indiana was something to feel pretty good about.But going up against taller, more talented, just plain better Purdue was another matter altogether for Northwestern, which lost to the Boilermakers 81-68 in the third round of the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament at the United Center.That’s all she wrote for the Wildcats, who finished with a win total — only 15 in 34 games — that matc…
Associated Press News
Braden Smith collects 16 more assists as No. 18 Purdue beats Northwestern 81-68 in Big Ten tourney
Braden Smith had 16 assists to climb into second on the NCAA career list, and No. 18 Purdue outmuscled Northwestern for an 81-68 victory that moved the Boilermakers into the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
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