Trey Kaufman-Penn had a game-high 26 points, Braden Smith had a double-double, and the hot-shooting Purdue Boilermakers handed No. 2 Alabama basketball its first loss of the season, 87-78, inside a raucous Mackey Arena Friday night.
In the first big nonconference test for Nate Oats’ team, Alabama (3-1) seemed to be playing with nerves early on, missing open looks and not finishing baskets. Their struggles from behind the arc continued for a third straight game. Alabama shot 31 percent (9-for-29) from downtown and 44 percent overall from the field.
Top scorer Mark Sears was held to 15 points and made just one of six shots from behind the arc. Freshman Labaron Philon’s 18 points off the bench led the Crimson Tide.
By contrast, No. 12 Purdue (4-0) shot a lights-out 9-of-16 from 3-point range and made 49.2 percent of its baskets from the field.
Alabama would use an 11-2 run in the second half to take its biggest lead of the night at 65-59 following a 3-pointer from Auburn transfer Aden Holloway with 11 minutes left in the game.
The lead lasted no time. Purdue surged with a decisive 13-0 run that included three consecutive 3-point shots by freshman guard C.J. Cox. As the game wore on, Alabama missed 11 of 12 shots at one point as Purdue built a 75-68 lead with under five minutes left.
Smith scored 17 points and had 10 assists for Purdue. Fletcher Loyer was another hot shooter, adding 17 points, as well.
Alabama got 12 points from Grant Nelson and 11 from Latrell Wrightsell.
Alabama basketball 2024 schedule
Alabama will face No. 20 Illinois Wednesday night in the C.M. Newton Classic at Legacy Arena in Birmingham. Tipoff is at 8 p.m CT. The game will be televised on SEC Network.
