Purdue just got handed a stunning 83-80 double overtime loss by Valparaiso on Friday night, and it wasn’t just any loss. Valpo guard Justus McNair drilled a corner 3-pointer as time expired in the second extra period, capping off a wild game that sends the Boilermakers to their first 0-2 start since the 1976-77 season. Let that sink in for a minute.
Double Overtime Heartbreak and a Stunned Home Crowd
This wasn’t supposed to happen. Purdue rolled into the game as a massive 19.5-point favorite. Nineteen and a half points! They even led by as many as 15 points in the first half. But college basketball, man, it just delivers the unexpected. Valpo’s Rakim Chaney already sent the game to double overtime when he hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to tie it at 70. And then, McNair pulled off the exact same dagger to win it all. You think the West Lafayette crowd was quiet after that? Absolutely brutal way to drop a game, especially when you’re supposed to cruise.
A Historic Hole for the Boilermakers
This isn’t just one bad night, folks. This Valparaiso loss snapped Purdue’s impressive 23-game home winning streak during November. It’s also their first loss against a Missouri Valley Conference opponent at Mackey Arena since 1978, a streak that dates back to when a guy named Larry Bird was tearing it up for Indiana State. You want to talk about rough starts? They’re now 0-2. And they’re not alone in suffering early shockers, with Oklahoma getting torched by East Texas A&M as a 28.5-point favorite on opening night. Purdue is clearly in a major transition, having lost Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and Fletcher Loyer. That trio was the backbone of their Elite Eight run last season, and you can see the void. Kaufman-Renn, by the way, is playing his sixth college season for Kansas after getting that injunction against the NCAA.
So, what’s next for Purdue? They’re staring down the barrel of an 0-2 record, something they haven’t seen in nearly 50 years. The pressure is absolutely on from here on out to dig themselves out of this early-season hole. This is the kind of early season gut-punch that can define a team’s entire year.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply