PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Trey Kaufman-Renn had 19 points and 13 rebounds for his fourth double-double this season to lead top-ranked Purdue over Rutgers 81-65 in the Big Ten Conference opener for both teams Tuesday night.
Braden Smith added 16 points and eight assists for the Boilermakers (8-0). Fletcher Loyer had 12 points and Gicarri Harris scored 11 off the bench.
Purdue has reached 80 points in every game this season and is beating opponents by an average of 20.
Dylan Grant and Harun Zrno each scored 13 points for Rutgers (5-4). The Scarlet Knights used 13 players and led for just 2:53 early in the first half.
The Boilermakers have won six games in a row over Rutgers by a combined 104 points. Rutgers had won four straight in the series from January 2020 to December 2021, but Purdue has won seven of eight meetings since.
The Boilermakers opened the second half with a 13-2 run to grab a 54-29 lead. Smith and Loyer had five points apiece in the burst.
Purdue scored 30 points in the paint as Kaufman-Renn and center Oscar Cluff dominated inside. The Boilermakers added 18 assists and scored 14 fast-break points.
