CHICAGO (AP) — Braden Smith had 16 assists to climb into second on the NCAA career list, and No. 18 Purdue outmuscled Northwestern for an 81-68 victory on Thursday that moved the Boilermakers into the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff each scored 19 points for Purdue (24-8), and Cluff also grabbed 10 rebounds. The Boilermakers outrebounded the Wildcats 35-23 and enjoyed a 38-18 advantage in points in the paint.
Smith is up to 1,045 assists in 142 career games, passing Ed Cota (1,030) and Chris Corchiani (1,038) with another smooth performance for the Boilermakers. Bobby Hurley is No. 1 with 1,076 assists in 140 games for Duke from 1989-93.
Next up for Purdue is No. 11 Nebraska on Friday. The second-seeded Cornhuskers had a bye through the first three rounds.
Nick Martinelli had 25 points for Northwestern (15-19), which advanced with wins over Penn State and Indiana on the first two days of the tournament. Jayden Reid finished with 19 points and nine assists.
Northwestern played without Arrinten Page, a 6-foot-11 forward who missed his fourth consecutive game because of an illness. And the Wildcats definitely missed the junior's size and physicality as the Boilermakers dominated inside.
Purdue went on a 15-3 run to open a 38-15 lead with 5:47 left in the first half. Kaufman-Renn started the decisive stretch with a jumper in the paint, and Omer Mayer capped the surge with a fast-break layup off a Northwestern turnover.
Another Kaufman-Renn basket helped Purdue to a 45-21 advantage at the break. The Boilermakers outscored the Wildcats 22-6 in the paint in the first half.
It was a much better start for Purdue than the one it had in the regular-season meeting between the schools. Purdue trailed 34-25 at halftime before rallying for a 70-66 victory at Northwestern on March 4.
Purdue topped Nebraska 80-77 in overtime in their only meeting of the season on Feb. 10. Kaufman-Renn grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds in the victory, helping the Boilermakers to a 54-37 advantage on the glass.
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Purdue forward Raleigh Burgess, right, celebrates with guard Omer Mayer after he scored a 3-point basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Northwestern in the third round of the Big 10 Conference tournament, Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
HAVANA (AP) — Cuba held recent talks with the U.S. government, President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Friday, marking the first time that the Caribbean country confirmed such speculation.
Díaz-Canel said in a speech that the talks “were aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences between our two nations. International factors facilitated these exchanges.”
He didn't elaborate on those factors, or provide any details about the talks.
The White House didn't return an immediate request for comment on the talks with Cuba.
Díaz-Canel said that no petroleum shipments have arrived on the island in the past three months, which he blamed on a U.S. energy blockade. He said that Cuba is running on natural gas, solar power and thermoelectric plants, and that the depletion of fuel oil and diesel forced two power plants to shut down and has limited the generation of power at solar parks.
Cuba’s western region was hit by a major blackout last week, leaving millions without power.
He said that Cuba, which produces 40% of its petroleum, has been generating its own power, but that it hasn’t been sufficient to meet demand.
The Cuban leader said that the lack of power has affected communications, education and transportation, and that the government has had to postpone surgeries for tens of thousands of people as a result.
“The impact is tremendous,” Díaz-Canel said.
He said that more than 115 bakeries across the island have been converted to run on firewood or coal.
Díaz-Canel said that 955 solar panels have been installed in rural homes and social centers, and that more solar systems will come online before the end of March that will add 100 megawatts to Cuba’s crumbling electric grid.
“Even with everything we’re putting together, we still need oil,” he said.
Díaz-Canel noted that production output also has dropped.
“Without energy, no country can produce at normal levels," he said. "All of this has meant making adjustments to employment.”
Last month, Cuba implemented austere fuel-saving measures.
Díaz-Canel said that the purpose of the talks was to identify “bilateral problems that require solutions based on their severity and impact” and find solutions to them.
The president said that the aim was “to determine the willingness of both parties to take concrete actions for the benefit of the people of both countries. And in addition, to identify areas of cooperation to confront threats and guarantee the security and peace of both nations, as well as in the region.”
He said that Cuba is willing to carry out the process on the basis of equality and respect for the countries’ political systems and for Cuba’s “sovereignty and self-determination.”
Critical oil shipments from Venezuela were halted after the U.S. attacked the South American country and arrested then President Nicolás Maduro.
The most recent blackout was blamed on a broken boiler at a thermoelectric plant that forced the shutdown of Cuba's power grid.
Authorities have noted that some thermoelectric plants have been operating for more than three decades and receive little maintenance given the high cost. U.S. sanctions also have prevented the government from buying new equipment and specialized parts, officials say.
After his speech, Díaz-Canel took questions from a select group of state reporters.
The questions focused mostly on Cuba’s deepening crises, but one reporter asked about the recent shooting of a Florida-flagged boat in Cuban waters in which four of 10 Cubans from the U.S. were killed after the government accused them of opening fire on local troops.
A fifth suspect later died from his injuries, according to the Cuban government.
Díaz-Canel said that FBI officials would visit Cuba soon as both countries continue to share information on the incident.
The five other suspects have been detained and face terrorism charges.
Díaz-Canel spoke just a day after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it would release 51 prisoners in a move that stems from a spirit of goodwill and close relations with the Vatican.
“It is a sovereign practice, no one imposes it on us,” Díaz-Canel said of the upcoming release. “It responds to our humanistic vocation."
Dánica Coto reported form San José, Costa Rica.
FILE - Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel attends the 17th annual BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)
