Valparaiso delivered a seismic upset in West Lafayette on Friday night, knocking off 19.5-point favorite Purdue 83-80 in double overtime. The decisive moment came in the final seconds of the second overtime, when Valpo guard Justus McNair drained a corner three-pointer as time expired to seal the victory. This dramatic finish capped a chaotic evening for the Boilermakers, who had led by as many as 15 points in the first half before succumbing to a relentless Valpo offense that refused to fade.
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The path to this historic loss began with another buzzer-beater, this time from Valpo’s Rakim Chaney, who tied the game at 70 to force double overtime. The result marks Purdue’s first 0-2 start since the 1976-77 season, snapping a 23-game home winning streak in November. Furthermore, this defeat represents the first loss against a Missouri Valley Conference opponent at Mackey Arena since 1978, when the Boilermakers fell to a Larry Bird-led Indiana State team.
This result cements a trend of high-major upsets in the opening week of the college basketball season, following Oklahoma’s shocking loss to East Texas A&M as a 28.5-point favorite. For Purdue, the loss is a significant wake-up call, exposing defensive vulnerabilities that allowed Valparaiso to stay within striking distance despite a substantial first-half lead. As the season progresses, the Boilermakers must now address these early-season struggles to avoid a deeper slide in the Big Ten Conference.
Source: CBS Sports
