Revenge Served Cold: Purdue Dismantles Auburn In Indy Classic Statement Win

If you walked into Gainbridge Fieldhouse expecting a nail-biter between two ranked heavyweights, you walked out witnessing a clinic. In a game that was circled on calendars for months as a “revenge match” for Purdue, the Boilermakers didn’t just beat Auburn—they practically ran them out of the state of Indiana.

The final score read 88-60, but honestly? It felt even more lopsided than that. This was a statement game for No. 6 Purdue, a flex of dominance that reminded everyone why the road to the Final Four often goes through West Lafayette (or, in this case, Indianapolis).

From Revenge Game To Rout: How Purdue Flipped the Script

Let’s rewind the tape a year. Last season, the Tigers absolutely throttled Purdue down in Birmingham. It was ugly. It was the kind of loss that sticks in your craw. But on Saturday afternoon in the Indy Classic, Matt Painter’s squad didn’t just even the score; they rewrote the narrative entirely.

The first half was competitive for about ten minutes, and then the Boilermakers decided they were tired of playing nice. Leading 46-32 at the break, thanks to a blistering shooting display, Purdue came out of the locker room and simply stepped on the gas.

The second half wasn’t a basketball game; it was a highlight reel. The defensive intensity from the Boilers was suffocating. At one point, Auburn looked like they were trying to solve a Rubik’s cube while wearing oven mitts—they just couldn’t find a rhythm. The lead ballooned to 29 points, and the “Boiler Up” chants inside the Fieldhouse reached deafening levels.

The Maestro and the Muscle: Smith and Kaufman-Renn Dominate

You can’t talk about this game without talking about Braden Smith. He wasn’t just playing point guard; he was conducting an orchestra. Smith finished with a double-double that doesn’t even fully capture his impact: 11 points and a staggering 14 assists. He was seeing passing lanes that didn’t exist to the naked eye, whipping the ball around the court with the confidence of a guy playing NBA 2K on rookie mode.

Then there was the muscle inside. Trey Kaufman-Renn was a problem for the Tigers. He finished with a game-high 18 points, showcasing a mix of footwork and brute strength that Auburn had zero answers for. When TKR is playing like this—bullying defenders in the paint and finishing through contact—Purdue becomes a nightmare matchup for anyone in the country.

Bench Mob: CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris Spark the Fire

Here is the scary part for the rest of the Big Ten: Purdue isn’t just top-heavy. Their bench came to play today. CJ Cox was practically unconscious from deep, pouring in 14 points and hitting 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Every time Auburn tried to string together a semblance of a run, Cox seemed to be there to bury a three and crush their spirits.

Freshman Gicarri Harris also joined the party, chipping in 12 points and hitting big shots that kept the momentum firmly in Purdue’s corner. And we have to mention Jack Benter. With the game well in hand and the clock winding down, Benter threw down a transition dunk that nearly blew the roof off the arena. It was the cherry on top of a very delicious sundae for the Purdue faithful.

A Tough Break For Auburn

It wasn’t all cheers, though. You hate to see injuries in games like this, and there was a hush over the crowd when Auburn star Tahaad Pettiford came up limping in the second half. He headed to the locker room with a right foot injury, and for college hoops fans, you just hope it’s nothing serious.

The Tigers, ranked No. 21 coming in, just never looked comfortable. They struggled from the floor, got out-rebounded, and generally looked like a team that ran into a buzzsaw.

What This Win Means For Purdue’s Season

This wasn’t just a “W” in the column. This was an announcement. Beating a ranked SEC opponent by 28 points on a neutral(ish) court sends a message. The shooting splits were gorgeous—50% from three, 60% from the floor in the first half—but it was the cohesiveness that stood out.

Matt Painter has his guys humming. They shared the ball (20+ assists), they defended without fouling (mostly), and they played with a chip on their shoulder. If this is the Purdue team we get for the rest of the winter, book your tickets for March now.