Purdue Defeats NC State in Final Four Rematch to Advance in Rady Invitational

Trey Kaufman-Renn's dominant second half leads Boilermakers to a 71-61 victory over the Wolfpack in San Diego.

Purdue's Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 15 of his 22 points in the second half, helping secure a 71-61 win over NC State in the Rady Children's Invitational opener.
The Boilermakers capitalized on strong rebounding, outpacing NC State 38-28 on the boards, and limiting the Wolfpack to 3-of-18 shooting from beyond the arc.
Camden Heide contributed 15 points, including key plays in the second half, while Braden Smith added 11 points and six assists despite ongoing shooting struggles.
NC State, playing its first high-major opponent of the season, struggled to contain Purdue’s interior scoring and could not overcome a cold shooting performance.
Purdue, now 6-1, advances to face Ole Miss in the championship game on Friday after the Rebels defeated BYU in overtime in the other semifinal.