SAN DIEGO (AP) — Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 15 of his 22 points points in the second half and Camden Heide added 15 for No. 13 Purdue, which beat N.C. State 71-61 on Thursday in the opening game of the Rady Children’s Invitational.
It was a rematch of last season’s Final Four game, which Purdue won 63-50 before losing to UConn in the championship game.
Braden Smith had 11 points and and Fletcher Loyer 10 for Purdue (6-1).
Jayden Taylor scored 15 and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield 13 for N.C. State (5-1).
Purdue’s biggest lead was 71-56 after Heider made a corner 3-pointer with 1:48 left.
N.C. State: The Wolfpack stayed close through the first half, trailing 33-32 at the break, but couldn’t slow down Kaufman-Renn’s inside game in the second half.
Purdue: Purdue is trying for its fourth straight Thanksgiving week tournament title. This is the third straight year the Boilermakers have headed west for the holiday weekend. Last year it won the Maui Invitational and two years ago it won the Phil Knight Legacy in Portland. The Boilermakers beat Gonzaga in both tournaments.
Kaufman-Renn scored Purdue’s first six points of the second half as the Boilermakers expanded their 33-32 halftime lead to 39-34. The 6-foot-9 big man made a layup, hit two free throws and added another layup, all in the first 2:05.
The Boilermakers outrebounded the Wolfpack 38-28, with Kaufman-Renn grabbing eight.
Purdue advances to Sunday’s championship game against the winner of the second game between No. 23 Mississippi and BYU.
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