The USC men’s basketball team had its opponent on the ropes midway through the first half, but was unable to deliver the knockout blow Saturday afternoon at Galen Center.
Showing why it is one of the best teams in the country, No. 5 Purdue battled back to take the lead by halftime and made enough plays in the final minutes to win 69-64 and remain perfect in Big Ten play.
Chad Baker-Mazara scored 15 points and Jacob Cofie added 13 points and 15 rebounds for the Trojans (14-4, 3-4), who led by three points with under three and half minutes left.
Braden Smith had 22 points for the Boilermakers (17-1, 7-0), including a steal and layup that gave Purdue a 65-62 lead with 23 seconds remaining.
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