03/20/26 09:30:00
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03/20 21:29 CDT Purdue's Smith sets Division I career assists record in rout of
Queens University in NCAA Tournament
Purdue's Smith sets Division I career assists record in rout of Queens
University in NCAA Tournament
By JEFF LATZKE
Associated Press
ST. LOUIS (AP) --- Braden Smith scored 26 points and became the Division I
career leader in assists, guiding No. 2 seed Purdue to a 104-71 win over Queens
University on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament.
The Boilermakers seized control with a pair of 10-0 runs, once in the waning
moments of the first half and in the opening minutes of the second half. Trey
Kaufman-Renn's basket after an offensive rebound capped the second surge and
stretched Purdue's lead to 58-36 with 16:27 to play.
Purdue (28-8) led by at least 20 the rest of the way.
About eight minutes in, Smith handed out his 1,077th career assist, breaking
the record previously held by Duke's Bobby Hurley. The milestone came when
Smith, wearing glittering black Nike sneakers, set up a layup by Kaufman-Renn
that gave Purdue a 17-12 advantage.
"I don't think it's really set in because to me, again, it's it's my job.
That's what I'm supposed to do," Smith said. "It's why I came here. As a point
guard, that's what you're supposed to do. You're supposed to get guys the ball
to go score. And obviously I have a lot of great people around me that can do
that."
Smith finished with eight assists and made 10 of 15 shots as Purdue converted
at a 63% clip from the field, including 58% from 3-point range.
"I've been very thankful and blessed to be put in a position where people trust
me with the ball in my hands, and my teammates trust me, the coaching staff
trusts me, and obviously I trust myself enough to go make shots," Smith said.
Coach Matt Painter called Hurley "quintessential point guard" and said the fact
his record stood for three decades reinforces that.
"He's a phenomenal player and you can see it on the court, how under control he
is," Queens coach Grant Leonard said of Smith.
Kaufman-Renn contributed 25 points and nine rebounds, and Oscar Cluff had nine
points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks for Purdue.
Jordan Watford and Nasir Mann, the younger brother of Charlotte Hornets guard
Tre Mann, led the 15th-seeded Royals (21-14) with 10 points apiece.
"It was an unbelievable season," Leonard said. "Usually only one team ends
happy, but our guys can hang their heads high."
Painter will go for his 500th Purdue victory in the next round of the West
Region against either No. 7 seed Miami or 10th-seeded Missouri. The
Boilermakers are seeking their third straight trip to round of 16 and seventh
in nine years.
The other two years featured quick exits as a No. 2 seed against Saint Peter's
in 2022 and as a No. 1 seed against Fairleigh Dickinson in 2023.
There was no such magic from Queens.
The 1,500-student school from Charlotte, North Carolina, which began as a
women's institute, is the smallest, by enrollment, to ever play in the NCAA
Tournament. It won the Atlantic Sun tournament for a spot in the bracket in its
first year of Division I eligibility.
"We did a lot. We fought through a lot of adversity, and it's been unbelievable
so far," Mann said. "I know we didn't have the outcome we wanted today, but we
still did the unbelievable. Coming from a small school, 1,500 students, and we
made it."
The Boilermakers never trailed, making baskets on their first six possessions
without much resistance from the nation's 349th-ranked scoring defense. Still,
the Royals stayed within striking distance for much of the first half.
Purdue finally pulled away by scoring 10 straight points, including two 3s and
a pair of free throws from C.J. Cox, stretching the lead to 45-30 late in the
half. Chris Ashby's 3-pointer on the final possession for Queens cut the
deficit to 12 at intermission. -__
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and
coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
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