Michigan's First-Half Burst Puts Purdue Away, Fuels Big Ten Lead

No. 1 Michigan used a blazing start and a productive bench to topple No. 7 Purdue 91-80 at Mackey Arena, widening its grip on the Big Ten title race. The Wolverines exploded for a 48-28 halftime lead behind sharp 3-point shooting (13 of 23 from deep) and 16 second-chance points on offensive rebounds, then maintained control as six players scored in double figures, including 17 from Elliot Cadeau. Purdue struggled with missed layups and could not slow Michigan’s depth or pace, with Braden Smith scoring 20 and Trey Kaufman-Renn 27 in a losing effort. The result cements Michigan as the favorite in the conference as it chases a league crown.