The Purdue Boilermakers ended their four-game losing streak with a decisive 76-66 victory over the UCLA Bruins. With just under 8:30 remaining in the game, Purdue found themselves trailing by one point, but they ignited a comeback fueled by a series of late 3-pointers that shifted the momentum in their favor.
During a pivotal 12-0 run, Camden Heide, Fletcher Loyer, and Braden Smith each contributed with crucial 3-point shots. Smith particularly shone, scoring seven points in the final 2:54, including a pull-up 3-pointer from the top of the key that extended Purdue’s lead to 73-60—an emotional turning point that felt like a dagger to the Bruins.
Braden Smith drained a pull-up 3-pointer to solidify the Purdue Boilermakers’ lead over the UCLA Bruins.
Smith finished the game with 23 points, shooting an impressive 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, and dished out eight assists. Notably, he broke Purdue’s all-time assists record during the first half, reaching 693 assists with a setup for Myles Colvin’s pull-up jump shot, surpassing Bruce Parkinson’s 48-year-old record of 690.
UCLA found themselves down 29-19 with 5:59 left in the first half but managed to narrow the gap to 37-35 by halftime. They even took the lead early in the second half, highlighted by Eric Dailey Jr.’s emphatic dunk over Colvin, energizing the Bruins’ bench.
Dailey concluded the game with nine points, while Tyler Bilodeau led UCLA with 15 points and seven rebounds. The Bruins held a slight edge on the boards, out-rebounding Purdue 31-23.
With this win, No. 20 Purdue (20-9 overall, 12-6 Big Ten) and UCLA (20-9, 11-5) were tied for fourth place in the Big Ten standings, but the Boilermakers now hold sole possession of that position, securing a critical double-bye for the upcoming tournament.
Catch the highlights and key plays from this thrilling matchup between the UCLA Bruins and the No. 20 Purdue Boilermakers.
Looking ahead, Purdue will host Rutgers (14-15, 7-11) on Tuesday at 4 p.m., while UCLA will face Northwestern (15-13, 6-11) on Monday at 6 p.m.
