CHICAGO — Oscar Cluff scored 21 points and Trey Kaufman-Renn added 20 as No. 18 Purdue defeated No. 3 Michigan 80-72 on Sunday to win the Big Ten Tournament championship. The victory secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the Boilermakers.
Braden Smith contributed a double-double with 14 points and 11 assists for Purdue (27-8), which also got three steals from Smith. The team shot 50% from the field and held off a late rally from the Wolverines.
Michigan (28-7) was led by Dug McDaniel with 19 points. The Wolverines struggled from three-point range, shooting just 5-of-22. Purdue's victory avenged a regular-season loss to Michigan and marked their first Big Ten Tournament title since 2009.
