PROVIDENCE, R.I. — — Trey Kaufman-Renn had 21 points and eight rebounds, and fourth-seeded Purdue held off High Point for a 75-63 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.

Big Ten player of the year Braden Smith added 20 points and six assists as Purdue (23-11) avoided a first-round exit after reaching the championship game last season. The Boilermakers will meet the winner of Clemson and McNeese State in the second round of the Midwest Region on Saturday.

D’Maurian Williams had 12 points for No. 13 seed High Point (29-6), which had won 14 straight. Trae Benham added 11 points.

High Point cut a 10-point halftime deficit to 59-56 on a dunk by Juslin Bodo Bodo with 7:47 left. But the Panthers were shut out over the next three-plus minutes as Purdue built its lead back up to double digits.

The game was played tight throughout the first half before Purdue surged with a 17-7 run late and took a 37-27 lead into halftime.

Takeaways

High Point: The Panthers have much to build on after making the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance. The program made the move up to Division I in 1999 but hadn’t been able to break through before coach Alan Huss got the team into the field in his second season. Huss could be a hot commodity in the offseason coaching carousel.

Purdue: Veteran experience proved valuable for Pudue with seniors Smith, Caleb Furst and Fletcher Loyer — freshmen in 2023 when the Boilermakers became the second No. 1 seed to lose to a 16-seed — helping steady the Boilermakers down the stretch.

Up next

Purdue is back in the tournament for the 16th time and 10th consecutive season under longtime coach Matt Painter, who is looking for his first NCAA title.

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