Braden Smith leads 2nd-half charge in No. 5 Purdue’s 79-72 comeback victory over Iowa
January 14, 2026
Braden Smith scored all 16 of his points in the second half and tied the Big Ten record for assists in conference play, and No. 5 Purdue overcame a nine-point to beat Iowa 79-72 on Wednesday night. Trey Kaufman-Renn added 12 points, Fletcher Loyer had 11 and Oscar Cluff 10 to help the Boilermakers (16-1, 6-0 Big Ten) win their eighth straight game. They have won their first six conference games for only the fifth time since 1940. Smith finished the game with 478 assists in league games — the same number former Michigan State player Cassius Winston had. Bennett Stirtz had 19 points to lead Iowa (12-5, 2-4). Kael Combs added 16 points.