Braden Smith dropped 31 points on the road and Trey Kaufman-Renn added late heroics after early foul trouble as the Boilermakers improved to 18-5.

Following a week's worth of rest since their Jan. 27 loss at Ohio State, Iowa basketball (13-9, 4-7 Big Ten) lost a highly competitive game vs. No. 7 Purdue (18-5, 10-2 Big Ten) by a score of 90-81 Tuesday night from Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

It’s possible to look at Tuesday’s loss to Purdue as a moral victory. But given the state of Iowa’s season, moral victories aren’t enough.

Braden Smith had a 31-point night in Purdue's win over Iowa on Tuesday. Throughout the game, college basketball fans and analysts raved about the junior guard.

It was another 40-minute night for Purdue point guard Braden Smith. Due to circumstance, the Boilers needed him to take over. Then he did.

The Boilermakers held off a late charge and point guard Braden Smith was key. Here's a look at each player's rating from the win at Iowa.

Braden Smith had 31 points and Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 25 as No. 7 Purdue beat Iowa 90-81. Josh Dix led the Hawkeyes with 27 points and Payton Sandfort had 23.

Purdue lacked energy in the first half on Tuesday night against Iowa. At halftime, Braden Smith reminded his teammates of their goals this season, which provided a major second-half spark.