Fletcher Loyer scored 18 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 51 seconds left, as No. 12 Purdue edged visiting Oregon 68-64 on Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind.
Trey Kaufman-Renn contributed 12 points and eight rebounds for the Boilermakers (19-4, 9-3 Big Ten) in a game that saw the teams combine for 27 turnovers while shooting a collective 10-for-43 from long range. Loyer went 3-for-4 from the line over the final 19 seconds to seal the result while Braden Smith added 13 points.
Oregon center Nate Bittle shined in his return to the lineup to keep the skidding Ducks afloat. Out for the past five games with an ankle injury, Bittle led all scorers with 23 points.
Takai Simpkins followed with 14 points, but the Ducks (8-15, 1-11) struggled to build scoring depth behind the duo while losing their ninth straight game. Kwame Evans Jr. grabbed seven rebounds for the Ducks, who went without a field goal over the last 4:38.
Purdue capitalized on an early edge in turnovers and points in the paint to seemingly seize control down the stretch of the first half.
Oscar Cluff hit a hook shot with 7:06 left before the break to give the Boilermakers a 27-18 advantage, but the Ducks regrouped to hold Purdue to just three more field goals ahead of halftime, including zero over the last 2:05. While the Boilermakers took a 36-34 lead into the locker room, the Ducks had momentum behind a 6-0 run to end the half.
The Boilermakers missed their first five shots coming out of the break and shot just 35% from the floor in the second half.
Bittle swished two free throws to give Oregon a 57-56 lead — their first of the second half — with 5:33 left to set up a tight finish. Bittle sank two more free throws to give the Ducks a 63-62 edge with 2:11 to go and wasted two possessions to make their lead bigger.
That’s when Loyer cashed his go-ahead 3-pointer. The Ducks followed by missing their third straight 3-point attempt, then Loyer hit one free throw with 19 seconds left and two more with 0:07 on the clock to close it out.
Kaufman-Renn and Smith each dished four assists. Smith reached the 200-assist mark for the season.
The Boilermakers have claimed both meetings since the Ducks joined the Big Ten for the 2024-25 season.
–Field Level Media
