Purdue Fends Off USC in L.A. Showdown, Clinches Historic Win Behind Cluff’s Big Day
LOS ANGELES - Galen Center felt more like Mackey Arena West on Saturday afternoon, with a sea of Purdue fans turning the road game into a Boilermaker homecoming. It had been over 50 years since Purdue last played in Los Angeles, and their fans showed up in force - loud enough to drown out USC’s in-game host and overwhelm the Trojans’ pregame introductions.
What those fans witnessed was a gritty, back-and-forth battle that ended with Purdue walking away with a hard-earned 69-64 win - and their 1,000th program victory. It wasn’t pretty, and it certainly wasn’t easy, but it was the kind of win that shows why this Boilermaker team continues to be a force.
USC didn’t just roll over. In fact, they nearly stole the show.
With 15 seconds left in a one-possession game, the Trojans had Purdue on the ropes. But a clutch performance from senior center Oscar Cluff and a few timely whistles that went Purdue’s way helped the Boilermakers close it out.
Cluff was a force all afternoon, finishing with 19 points and six rebounds - but it wasn’t just the numbers. It was the moments.
His late-game presence shifted the momentum when it mattered most. And then there was Braden Smith, who poured in a game-high 22 points.
USC bottled him up in the second half - holding him to just four points - but his first-half explosion kept Purdue afloat when things got dicey early.
USC’s fight came from everywhere. Jacob Cofie turned in a monster double-double with 13 points and 15 boards, and Chad Baker-Mazara brought energy off the bench, leading the Trojans with 15 points and swatting three shots. They were relentless, especially in the first half.
The Trojans won the opening tip and came out swinging. Every defensive rebound turned into a fast break, and midway through the first half, they hit Purdue with a 16-0 run that electrified the home crowd - or at least tried to cut through the Boilermaker noise. A Jaden Brownell three was followed by a Baker-Mazara midcourt steal and breakaway dunk that capped the run and put USC up 22-8.
During that stretch, Purdue’s offense went ice cold - 1-for-10 from the field with three turnovers. For a team that thrives on offensive rhythm, it was a brutal stretch.
USC head coach Eric Musselman went big with his starting lineup, rolling out 7-foot-5 center Gabe Dynes alongside 6-foot-10 Jacobi Cofie and 6-foot-9 Ezra Ausar. That size caused problems for Purdue early. Dynes was a wall in the paint, scoring eight points in the first half and altering shots left and right.
But Purdue didn’t panic.
Cluff and Smith responded with a pair of 8-0 runs that chipped away at USC’s lead. Gicarri Harris tied things up at 30 with a pair of free throws, and then Cluff stepped out and drilled a three to give Purdue its first lead. He tapped his forearm in celebration - the universal sign for “ice in the veins” - and Purdue took a 33-32 edge.
Cluff wasn’t done. A fadeaway jumper just before the break gave Purdue a 38-32 halftime lead, capping off a 30-point swing that flipped the game on its head.
The second half was a slugfest. Both teams traded buckets, and foul trouble became a major storyline. Cluff picked up his fourth with 13 minutes to go, while USC’s frontcourt trio - Cofie, Dynes, and Ausar - all found themselves with three fouls apiece.
Still, the Trojans came out swinging after the break. Cofie cleaned up a miss for a putback, then found Baker-Mazara for a slick alley-oop that put USC back in front, 43-42. But the foul issues started to catch up, and Purdue took advantage with a 6-0 run to go up 57-54 with just over eight minutes remaining.
Then came another cold spell - this time for Purdue. The Boilermakers missed six straight shots in a six-minute drought, opening the door for USC to claw back in.
Ausar made the most of it. In one sequence, he barreled to the rim with the kind of low, powerful drive you’d expect from a linebacker, finishing with authority. He later drilled a buzzer-beating three that gave the Trojans a jolt.
But when Cluff checked back in for the final two minutes, the game shifted again. His presence steadied Purdue, and the Boilermakers closed things out with just enough composure to escape with the win.
It wasn’t a dominant performance, but it was a resilient one - the kind of road win that builds character and adds weight to a program milestone. Purdue got what it came for: a signature win in L.A. and a place in the history books.