Purdue University vs the University of California, Los Angeles at United Center: did 21 assists and 12 offensive rebounds decide the semifinal?

The Purdue University team left Chicago at 18-0 after a 73-66 result over the University of California, Los Angeles team, while the Bruins moved to 0-0 after the neutral-site matchup at United Center at 3:35 PM EDT on CBS.

First half

The Purdue University side built its edge with a 34-27 first-half margin while finishing the game with 21 assists on 25 made field goals.

Purdue used 12 offensive rebounds to help produce 17 second-chance points, and the Boilers finished with 38 total rebounds compared with 26 for the Bruins.

The Bruins generated 8 steals and turned them into 13 points off turnovers, while Purdue finished with 10 turnovers and 10 points off turnovers.

Second half

Purdue matched UCLA with 39 points after halftime while holding a 13-point biggest lead in the game.

The Boilers attacked the interior for 28 points in the paint and shot 70 percent on paint attempts, while UCLA finished with 26 points in the paint on 52 percent shooting on paint attempts.

Purdue’s perimeter output included 10 made three-pointers on 36 percent shooting, and UCLA hit 7 three-pointers on 35 percent.

The Boilers reached the line for 19 free throw attempts and made 13, while UCLA went 9-for-11 at the stripe.

Key factors

Oscar Cluff posted 17 points and 14 rebounds in the previous game, and his activity on the glass aligned with Purdue’s 12 offensive rebounds in this one.

Braden Smith logged 9 assists in the previous game, and Purdue’s 21-assist night reflected that ball movement across the semifinal.

Fletcher Loyer recorded 14 points with 2 steals in the previous game, and Purdue’s 5 steals helped limit UCLA to 4 lead changes and 4 ties overall.

This Purdue Boilermakers vs UCLA Bruins match summary also showed the Boilers producing 11 fast-break points while the Bruins finished with 4.

Post game analysis

Purdue’s effective field goal rate finished at 56 percent while UCLA closed at 50 percent, and those shot-quality numbers fit the game flow across 54 Purdue field goal attempts and 57 for UCLA.

UCLA protected the ball with 6 turnovers and a 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio, while Purdue finished at 2.1 with 10 turnovers, and those tradeoffs shaped several game-changing plays Purdue Boilermakers vs UCLA Bruins.

The post-game report Purdue Boilermakers reflected a Purdue team line of 3 blocks, 20 bench points, and 10 total fouls, while UCLA totaled 1 block, 16 bench points, and 15 total fouls.

Next up

Purdue will be on CBS again at 3:30 PM EDT on March 15, 2026, with the Boilers listed as the away team against the Michigan Wolverines at United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Run it back for more recap coverage, and share this article with other Purdue fans tracking the conference tournament bracket and the next game on the schedule.