LOS ANGELES (AP) — Braden Smith stole the ball at midcourt and hit a layup with 23 seconds remaining, helping No. 5 Purdue edge Southern California 69-64 on Saturday to pull into a first-place tie with Nebraska in the Big Ten standings with its ninth consecutive victory.
Smith scored 18 of his 22 points in the first half, when Purdue trailed by 14 points in the school’s first visit to Los Angeles to play USC in 53 years.
The Boilermakers (17-1, 7-0) had just two field goals in the game’s final three minutes, but made 8 of 10 free throws to avoid the upset. They were favored by 9 1/2 points, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
The Trojans (14-4, 3-4) were just 5 of 14 from the free-throw line in the game. They were led by Chad Baker-Mazara with 15 points. He missed six of seven 3-pointers, including a desperation heave at the end.
Trailing 60-57, the Boilermakers outscored USC 12-4 over the final three minutes of a back-and-forth second half.
Playing with four fouls, Oscar Cluff scored five in a row after Purdue trailed 60-58. He finished with 19 points and six rebounds.
Buoyed by a partisan crowd, the Boilermakers rallied from the early 14-point deficit to earn the program’s 1,000th victory since the 1980-81 season, when coach Gene Keady first took over in West Lafayette.
Clad in black-and-gold and chanting “Boiler up!” and “Let’s go Boilers!,” it felt more like Mackey Arena West than Galen Center, where the Trojans average 4,318.
In the first half, the Trojans ran off 16 straight points to take their largest lead of the game, 22-8. Five different players scored, highlighted by 7-foot-5 Gabe Dynes’ dunk.
The Boilermakers answered with a 30-10 run to close the first half leading 38-32. Smith scored 13 of his 18 points in the spurt, singlehandedly outscoring the Trojans 8-0 going into the break. He made all four of his 3-point attempts in the half.
Up next
Purdue: Visits UCLA on Tuesday in its first trip to Pauley Pavilion in 25 years.
USC: Hosts Northwestern on Wednesday to close out a three-game homestand.
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