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PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Trey Kaufman-Renn recorded 22 points and 15 rebounds to help Purdue punch its sixth Sweet 16 ticket in the last eight NCAA Tournaments with a 76-62 win over McNeese in second-round Midwest Region action on Saturday.

The fourth-seeded Boilermakers (24-11) never looked back after starting 5-of-5 and 11-of-15 from the field en route to a 45.1 percent shooting performance, including 11 of 26 from distance.

Fletcher Loyer (15 points, five assists), Massachusetts native C.J. Cox (11 points) and Braden Smith (10 points) also scored in double digits for Purdue, which sank double-digit threes twice during its 2024 national title game run.

The 15 rebounds were a career-high for Kaufman-Renn, a unanimous All-Big Ten selection.

Sincere Parker had 17 points and Javohn Garcia had 12 on four 3-pointers for 12th-seeded McNeese (28-7), which entered Saturday on a 12-game win streak.

Purdue made its first five baskets, withstanding McNeese’s early threes from Quadir Copeland and Garcia in the first 1:58 to build a lead that ballooned to as many as 22 before halftime.

After two inside feeds to Kaufman-Renn helped the Boilermakers open an early lead, Cox’s steal and reverse layup and a Myles Colvin trey highlighted a three-minute, 10-0 run that extended it to 17-6.

Parker knocked down the first of two jumpers that broke a McNeese scoring drought spanning nearly four minutes, but a response saw Smith score five straight Purdue points, including his second triple of the half, before a Camden Heide fast-break finish upped the lead to 27-11 with 9:36 left.

Purdue logged another 9-0 run on Cox’s straight-on three and six consecutive free throws by the 3:55 mark for the 22-point lead. Christian Shumate made two baskets during McNeese’s 6-2 run to close the half.

Loyer started Purdue’s second half with a deep 3-pointer with a foot on the center logo, but the lead was extended at the line. Cox made three shots after being fouled on an attempted trey before a technical led to five makes from Loyer and Kaufman-Renn, and a 25-point lead.

McNeese made a strong push thereafter, running 11-0 over 5:35 that included four Brandon Murray points around a Parker layup. Cox continued his best scoring performance since having 13 against Wisconsin on Feb. 15 with a right-wing three to stop the Cowboy run.

Colvin set up Kaufman-Renn’s 3-point play inside with 9:49 left, and the Boilermakers responded to three McNeese baskets with treys down the stretch before McNeese finished on a 13-3 spurt, including two baskets from T’Johnn Brown.

–Joshua Kummins, Field Level Media