Purdue got absolutely stunned on Friday night, falling 83-80 to Valparaiso men’s basketball in a double overtime thriller that finished with a buzzer-beating three-pointer. It’s only November, but this game had major March Madness vibes, with the Beacons forcing not one, but two overtimes before junior guard Justus McNair sealed the deal. With the game tied and just four seconds left in double OT, McNair drove the ball down the court and banked in the game-winning three, taking down the Boilermakers in their own house.
The Beacons’ Unstoppable Second Half Surge
Valpo, who made the hour and a half drive south from Valparaiso, Indiana for their second game of the season, came out swinging in the second half. Purdue probably thought this was a cupcake matchup early in the regular season, but Valpo had other plans. They completely outscored the Boilermakers 38-26 after the break, sparking a late surge that shifted the entire momentum. With only a minute left in regulation, McNair hit a clutch jumper to tie things up at 58-all. Purdue had multiple chances to get a game-winning score, but couldn’t convert, sending the game to the first overtime. Even with Purdue taking the lead again in the first OT, Valpo kept fighting, staying within two scores and eventually pulling back to within three points. Then, Rakim Chaney stepped to the free throw line for a one-and-one. He missed his first shot, but somehow managed to grab his own rebound, circle out, and drain a three-pointer that rolled around the rim and in, beating the buzzer and forcing double overtime. You can’t make this stuff up!
Double Overtime Chaos and the Final Dagger
By the time double OT rolled around, it was Valpo who had Purdue on the back foot. The Beacons took a slight lead, but the Boilermakers clawed their way back to tie it up once more. Purdue junior center Daniel Jacobsen hit a hook shot with just four seconds left, setting the stage for McNair’s absolutely insane game-winning moment. It was an absolutely massive upset for Valparaiso, a university with an undergraduate enrollment of just over 2,000 students. The craziest part? Valpo didn’t lead at all during the entire game until they pulled ahead in double overtime. That’s right, they never had the lead until the final five minutes of the game, and still managed to pull off the win.
Early Season Madness Is Already Here
The Valpo Beacons, who play in Division I’s Missouri Valley Conference, are now a shocking 2-0 to start their 2026-27 season. Meanwhile, Purdue drops to 0-2 on the season after this loss. They opened the year with a narrow defeat against No. 15 Gonzaga, so starting the season winless with two tough losses is definitely not what they envisioned. Valpo’s victory was wildly unexpected, but it’s not the first major upset we’ve seen already. Oklahoma got stunned by East Texas A&M at home earlier in the week. With the men’s basketball season only a week in, this is spelling out for a whole lot more early madness coming our way. Get ready, college hoops fans, it’s going to be a wild season!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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