Michigan vs. Purdue basketball highlights: Boilermakers win Big Ten Championship

Michigan basketball came into Sunday looking like perhaps the presumptive No. 1 overall seed in the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament, but the Wolverines were looking for more.

They didn’t get it, though.

Behind 14 points, 11 assists and three steals from Braden Smith, Purdue toppled the No. 1 seed Wolverines 80-72 in the Big Ten tournament championship game in Chicago on Sunday, March 15, becoming the first-ever No. 7 seed to win the event.

Oscar Cluff had a team-high 21 points for the Boilermakers while Trey Kaufman-Renn added 20, giving coach Matt Painter’s team a good deal of production against perhaps the best frontcourt in the country. With his performance Sunday, Smith enters the NCAA tournament one assist shy of tying Bobby Hurley’s NCAA Division I career assists record.

Yaxel Lendeborg led Michigan with 20 points while big man Aday Mara added 14. Elliot Cadeau finished with a double-double for the Wolverines, with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Even with the loss, Michigan is effectively a lock for a No. 1 seed to the NCAA tournament while Purdue will await its fate during tonight’s selection show. The Boilermakers are widely projected as a No. 2 or No. 3 seed.

USA TODAY Sports provided live updates from Purdue vs. Michigan. Here are the highlights:

Michigan vs Purdue score

This section will be updated throughout the game.

Michigan vs Purdue live updates

This section will be updated throughout the game.

Purdue beats Michigan for Big Ten championship

If you're going to play four games in four days, might as well make it worth it.

Oscar Cluff had 21 points, 12 of which were in the second half when he played the last 5:31 with four fouls, and Trey Kaufman-Renn had 20 as seventh-seeded Purdue upset top-seeded Michigan 80-72 to win the Big Ten conference tournament. It's the Boilermakers' third Big Ten tournament title. 

Yaxel Lendeborg, the Big Ten player of the year, led Michigan with 20 and Elliot Cadeau had a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists. But Michigan was often sloppy, finishing with seven turnovers that Purdue turned into 13 points. 

The Boilermakers, meanwhile, had just two turnovers and shot almost 53 percent for the game. 

Yaxel Lendeborg injury

Michigan's star player has left the game in the final minutes against Purdue after suffering what appeared to be an ankle injury. He was able to walk on his own, but was moving gingerly.

He has since checked back in the game with 1:33 left.

Oscar Cluff picks up fourth foul

That's a fourth foul on Oscar Cluff, and there's still 7:29 left. 

Purdue coach Matt Painter gambled in the first half and kept Cluff on the floor after he picked up his second foul. It backfired, when Cluff got his third before halftime. Stakes are higher now, even if Purdue has a 10-point lead, and the Boilermakers are probably going to have to get through the next three or four minutes without him. It's less than ideal, but even less ideal would be Cluff fouling out.

Purdue staying hot vs. Michigan

How bad have things been for Michigan this second half? Trey Kaufman-Renn has as many points as the entire Michigan team this half.

Kaufman-Renn, who spent part of the first half on the bench in foul trouble, has eight points in the first eight-plus minutes on 4-of-6 shooting. The Wolverines also have eight, on 4-of-9 shooting.

Braden Smith helping Purdue pull ahead

The Boilermakers are starting to create some distance in what had been a closely contested game, with an 11-point lead with 12 minutes remaining. Braden Smith has been the catalyst for Purdue, with four points and five (five!!) assists in the first eight minutes of the second half.

Smith has 11 points and 10 assists for the game while Trey Kaufman-Renn leads all scorers with 16. Smith is now two assists shy of tying Bobby Hurley for the NCAA Division I career record.

Purdue, Michigan tied at halftime

Elliot Cadeau scored four of Michigan's last six points, including a driving layup with less than a second left that allowed Michigan to go into halftime tied with Purdue at 38. 

Michigan took a 32-26 lead on a pair of free throws by Morez Johnson Jr. after Oscar Cluff picked up his third foul with 3:14 still to play. Despite Trey Kaufman-Renn also having two fouls, Painter opted to put him back on the floor and good thing. Kaufman-Renn sandwiched a layup and a pull-up jumper around Jack Benter's 3-pointer, and Braden Smith followed with a pull-up jumper that gave Purdue a 35-32 lead with 90 seconds left. 

Smith converted a 3-point play to extend the lead to 38-32 with 54 seconds to play. But Cadeau fed Aday Mara for a dunk and then scored on his own driving layup to even things up at the half. 

Cadeau had seven points and eight assists in the half, with just one turnover. 

Oscar Cluff adds third foul

Matt Painter's gamble backfired. 

The Purdue coach put Oscar Cluff back in the game after he picked up his second foul, and now Cluff has picked up his third with 3:14 still left in the half. Cluff had scored another three points after getting the second foul, but have to wonder if it's worth it. 

Cluff has a team-high nine points today.

Yaxel Lendeborg picks up second foul

The fouls are starting to add up for some of the game's most consequential players.

This time, it's Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg, who picks up his second foul with 6:27 left in the first half and heads to the bench. Lendeborg has seven points thus far today.

Oscar Cluff picks up second foul

Ruh-roh. First Trey Kaufman-Renn, now Oscar Cluff.

Purdue's two most productive post players are on the bench with two fouls each with 8:15 still to go in the first half. Cluff leads the Boilermakers with six points so far as well as two rebounds while Kaufman-Renn has four points. 

Braden Smith wearing new jersey

During his record-setting career, Braden Smith has worn the No. 3 jersey, but coming out of the under-12 media timeout, the Purdue star point guard came out wearing a black No. 41 jersey with no last name on the back.

A Purdue spokesperson told the Indianapolis Star that he sustained a rip in his No. 3 jersey, necessitating the change.

Trey Kaufman-Renn picks up second foul

Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue's leading rebounder and third-leading scorer, just picked up his second foul with 11:06 still to play in the first half. Kaufman-Renn was scrapping for the rebound after Braden Smith's miss from 3 when he was whistled. He appeared to bang up his left elbow on the play, too, flexing it as he headed back to Purdue's bench. 

Yaxel Lendeborg heating up for Michigan

This is more like what we're used to seeing from Yaxel Lendeborg.

The Big Ten's Player of the Year had been off offensively in the quarterfinals against Ohio State and in the first half against Wisconsin. But a talk with Michigan coach Dusty May during halftime of the game against the Badgers got Lendeborg out of his funk and he was far more assertive in the second half, including draining a 3-pointer at the buzzer for his first game-winner. That's carried over against Purdue, with Lendeborg making his first two shots to give Michigan a 13-11 lead. 

Michigan off to slow start

In the first 3 1/2 minutes of the game, the Wolverines have as many turnovers as they do field goals. Purdue has turned those miscues into five points on its way to a 9-6 lead.

Purdue basketball starting five

And here is Purdue's starting five.

Michigan basketball starting five

Here's a look at the U-M starting five vs Purdue.

Michigan, Purdue slated for Big Ten title matchup

The Big Ten posted a hype video for Michigan vs Purdue, as the two teams vie for the conference championship.

What TV channel is Big Ten Championship on today?

• TV schedule: CBS
• Streaming: Paramount+ | Fubo (free trial)

The Big Ten Championship will air nationally on CBS. Streaming options for the game include Paramount+, CBS's dedicated subscription streaming service. Another option is Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Big Ten Championship start time today

• Date: Sunday, March 15
• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET | 2:30 p.m. CT
• Location: United Center (Chicago)

The Big Ten Championship is scheduled to tip off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 15 from the United Center in Chicago.

Big Ten Championship picks, predictions, odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Sunday, March 15.

• Spread: Michigan(-5.5)
• Over/under: 149.5
• Moneyline: Michigan (-235) | Purdue (+195)

Prediction: Purdue 77, Michigan 74

The Boilermakers complete their fourth win in four days to defeat the Wolverines for the Big Ten championship. Michigan's recent run of close games finally comes back to bite them in a nail-biter. -- Ehsan Kassim, USA TODAY