BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Johni Broome had 23 points and 11 rebounds in his return from a shoulder injury, and No. 2 Auburn beat No. 16 Purdue 87-69 on Saturday.
Broome had played only two minutes in the last game against Georgia State before hurting his right shoulder, but he and the Tigers (11-1) dominated the Boilermakers (8-4) most of the way.
Tahaad Pettiford had 18 points and five assists for Auburn, which led by 33 points with seven minutes left. Denver Jones added 15 points. The 6-foot-10 Broome shot 10 for 15 and got the crowd going with a 3-pointer just over a minute into the game.
C.J. Cox led Purdue with 16 points while Trey Kaufman-Renn had 15 points and eight rebounds. He was just 1 for 7 from the free throw line, all in the first half.
Fletcher Loyer had 12 points on 3-for-12 shooting, and Braden Smith added eight points and six assists but also committed five turnovers.
Takeaways
Purdue: Fell to 2-2 against ranked SEC teams this season and was outclassed in a hostile environment. The Boilermakers shot 45% (13 for 29) in the second half.
Auburn: Earned its fourth win over a ranked nonconference team this season, matching the program’s regular season record.
Key moment
Auburn took control after Purdue tied it at 15-all. The Tigers pushed the lead up to 18 points after that and led 41-26 at halftime. That was as close as it got. Pettiford scored eight down the stretch and Broome seven.
Key stats
Auburn shot 10 for 26 on 3-pointers (38.5%). Cox was 3 for 5 for the Boilermakers but the rest of the team was just 5 for 18.
Up Next
Purdue hosts Tulane on Dec. 29, and Auburn hosts Monmouth on Dec. 30.
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