INDIANAPOLIS — Purdue didn’t just beat Marquette. The sixth-ranked Boilermakers exposed a struggling Golden Eagles team that limped into Big Ten country and left with more questions than answers.
On Saturday, Purdue rolled to a 79-59 rout over Marquette behind a near-perfect performance from center Oscar Cluff, who turned the game into his personal showcase.
Cluff’s Coming-Out Party
Purdue fans already knew Cluff could be good. Against Marquette, he looked
borderline unstoppable.
- Cluff scored
22 points on a flawless
9-for-9 from the field.
- He added
11 rebounds, logging his
second straight double-double.
- In just
3 minutes and 42 seconds, he scored
13 straight points for Purdue, blowing the game wide open.
Marquette simply had no answer in the paint. Every catch for Cluff felt like an automatic bucket or a foul. Purdue fed him early, often, and without resistance.
As the
Journal & Courier put it, Cluff’s stretch “buried Marquette” as the Boilermakers pushed the lead past 20 and never looked back.
Braden Smith’s Quiet Milestone, Loud Control
This wasn’t a one-man show. Point guard
Braden Smith played conductor.
- Smith finished with
10 assists,
7 points, and
5 rebounds, once again stuffing the stat sheet.
- He pushed his career totals to
1,515 points, 859 assists, and 759 rebounds, crossing yet another milestone for Purdue.
Smith didn’t need to score much. His job was simpler:
get Cluff the ball where he likes it and keep Marquette’s defense scrambling. Mission accomplished.
How Purdue Took Over: Two Big Runs, One Beatdown
From the jump, this never felt like an even fight.
- Purdue seized control with a
12-0 first-half run, going up
21-8 and silencing any early Marquette momentum.
- Later in the half, a
9-0 burst stretched the lead to
37-19 at the break.
By the time Cluff’s second-half scoring explosion hit, the game’s outcome wasn’t in doubt. The lead peaked at
30 points before Purdue eased off late.
The Boilermakers improved to
10-1 (2-0 Big Ten) and have now
won two straight after that ugly 23-point home loss to then-No. 10 Iowa State. This was the kind of response you want from a top-10 team: ruthless, efficient, and mean in the middle.
Marquette’s Offense: Ice Cold and Out of Answers
If you’re Shaka Smart, the film on this one is going to hurt.
- Marquette dropped to
5-6, closing nonconference play with a
losing record.
- The Golden Eagles have now lost
back-to-back Saturdays by 20 points, a brutal sign of where this team stands right now.
Offensively, it was a nightmare:
- Marquette shot just
8-for-31 from three.
- Their perimeter looks were often rushed, contested, or created late in the shot clock.
- Inside, they were bullied by Cluff and the Boilermaker frontcourt.
Royce Parham was one of the few bright spots, scoring
19 points to lead Marquette.
Chase Ross added
10 points. But they never truly threatened once Purdue’s early run landed.
Marquette Wire described the loss as the fitting end to a nonconference stretch that “felt like it was always heading this way” — a team searching for its identity, now staring at Big East play with
no momentum and mounting pressure.
What This Says About Purdue Right Now
This game revealed a few important things about Purdue:
-
Cluff is a real weapon: He’s not just a role-playing big; he’s a focal point when Purdue wants to play inside-out.
-
Smith is in full command: His assist numbers and milestones aren’t empty — they reflect a guard who completely controls pace and flow.
-
Response to adversity: After being embarrassed by Iowa State, Purdue has stacked two convincing wins and looks mentally reset.
Purdue now gets a
week-long break before facing
No. 21 Auburn in Indianapolis, a matchup that will say even more about where this team stands in the national hierarchy.
What This Means for Marquette Heading Into Big East Play
For Marquette, the story is harsher.
- They finish nonconference play
under .500, a rarity for a program that entered this season expecting to chase a fifth straight NCAA tournament berth under Shaka Smart.
- They’ve now been
blown out in consecutive Saturdays, both by 20 points, raising red flags about depth, interior defense, and offensive consistency.
Next up:
Georgetown at home to open Big East play. On paper, it’s a softer landing spot. In reality, it’s a
must-respond moment.
If Marquette is going to salvage this season, it starts with:
- Finding a reliable offensive identity that doesn’t devolve into forced threes
- Shoring up the paint to avoid repeats of the Cluff domination
- Getting more consistent production from its core rotation beyond flashes from players like Parham and Ross
Right now, Marquette looks less like a tournament lock and more like a team that will have to
scrap its way onto the bubble.
The Bigger Picture
This matchup was supposed to be a solid nonconference test. Instead, it turned into a
statement game — but only for one side.
- For
Purdue, it was proof that the Boilermakers can reinvent themselves around new interior firepower and steady guard play.
- For
Marquette, it was a warning flare: if they don’t fix their issues fast, the Big East could get very ugly, very quickly.
One thing is certain: if you’re scouting Purdue now, you’re circling
Oscar Cluff in red ink. And if you’re Marquette, you’re circling this game as the night your weaknesses were fully, brutally exposed.
Sources
1. Marquette Golden Eagles vs. Purdue Boilermakers Live Score and ...
2. Oscar Cluff dominates Marquette with double-double at Mackey Arena
3. Marquette finishes non-con with losing record after 79-59 loss to No. 6 Purdue
4. Marquette (S)No(w) Problem for Purdue - 79-59
5. Oscar Cluff's unreal performance leads Purdue basketball vs Marquette
6. COLLEGE BASKETBALL HIGHLIGHTS | 12/13/25 | NBC Sports
